Patrick Mayhew
Patrick Barnabas Burke Mayhew, Baron Mayhew of Twysden, PC, QC, DL (11 September 1929 – 25 June 2016) was a British barrister and politician.
Early life
Through his father, Mayhew was descended from the Victorian social commentator Henry Mayhew. Mayhew's mother was a Roche and a relative of Lord Fermoy. He was educated at Tonbridge School, an all boys public school in Tonbridge, Kent.
He then served as an officer in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, studied law at Balliol College, Oxford, and was president of the Oxford University Conservative Association and of the Oxford Union.[1] He was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1955.
Career
Mayhew contested Dulwich in 1970, but the incumbent Labour member, Sam Silkin, beat him by 895 votes. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tunbridge Wells constituency from its creation at the February 1974 general election, standing down at the 1997 election.
He was Under Secretary of Employment from 1979 to 1981, then Minister of State at the Home Office from 1981 to 1983. After this, he served as Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1983 to 1987, and then Attorney General for England and Wales and simultaneously Attorney General for Northern Ireland from 1987 to 1992. He was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1992 to 1997, the longest anyone has served in this office.
Honours and awards
Mayhew was knighted in 1983.[2] On 12 June 1997, he was given a life peerage as Baron Mayhew of Twysden, of Kilndown in the County of Kent.[3] He retired from the House of Lords on 1 June 2015.[4]
Personal life
In 1963, he married Jean Gurney, and they had four sons.[1] Mayhew's son, The Hon. Henry Mayhew, appeared in the fourth episode of the series The Secret History Of Our Streets, discussing life in the Portland Road, Notting Hill, London.
Mayhew suffered from cancer and Parkinson's disease in his later years.[5] He died on 25 June 2016, aged 86, in his home in Kent.[5]
References
- 1 2 1993 Profile in The Independent. Retrieved 26 June 2016
- ↑ "No. 49397". The London Gazette. 24 June 1983. p. 8380.
- ↑ "No. 54809". The London Gazette. 17 June 1997. p. 7011.
- ↑ "Retired members of the House of Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Former NI Secretary Lord Mayhew dies, aged 86". BBC News. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Patrick Mayhew
- Belfast Telegraph obituary for Patrick Mayhew
- Daily Telegraph obituary for Patrick Mayhew
- The Guardian obituary for Patrick Mayhew
- Irish Times obituary for Patrick Mayhew
- The Times obituary for Patrick Mayhew
- Patrick Mayhew's funeral service
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells 1974–1997 |
Succeeded by Archie Norman |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Ian Percival |
Solicitor General for England and Wales 1983–1987 |
Succeeded by Sir Nicholas Lyell |
| Preceded by Michael Havers |
Attorney General for England and Wales 1987–1992 | |
| Attorney General for Northern Ireland 1987–1992 | ||
| Preceded by Peter Brooke |
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1992–1997 |
Succeeded by Mo Mowlam |
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