Ralph Etherton

Ralph Humphrey Etherton (11 February 1904 – 10 December 1987) was a British barrister and Conservative politician. He was the son of Captain Louis Etherton.[1] He was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1926.[2][3]

Ralph Etherton
Member of Parliament
for Stretford
In office
8 December 1939 – 15 June 1945
Preceded byAnthony Crossley
Succeeded byHerschel Lewis Austin
Majority18,984
Personal details
Born(1904-02-11)11 February 1904
Died10 December 1987(1987-12-10) (aged 83)
Political partyConservative
Alma materTrinity Hall, Cambridge
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1944-1945
RankFlight Lieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War 2

He became involved in Conservative politics, failing to win a parliamentary seat at Everton, Liverpool in 1935. In 1937 he unsuccessfully stood for election to the London County Council as a Municipal Reform Party candidate.[4] Two tears later, the 1939 Stretford by-election was caused by the death of Anthony Crossley, Member of Parliament for Stretford. Etherton won the contest and was elected to the seat.[5]

Etherton joined the Royal Air Force, rising from the rank of Pilot Officer to Flight Lieutenant.[6] On 15 December 1944, he married Johanne Cloherty in St Mary Undercroft, the crypt chapel of the Palace of Westminster.[1] He met his future wife while she was Charles de Gaulle's diplomatic driver.[2]

He lost his parliamentary seat at the 1945 general election.[7] He retired from active politics and pursued a career in business. He died in December 1987, aged 82.[2]

References
  1. Marriages, The Times, 16 December 1944
  2. Obituary of Mr Ralph Etherton, The Times, 9 January 1988
  3. Bar Examinations, 13 January 1926, p.18
  4. Fight To Govern London, The Times, 2 March 1937, p. 13
  5. Unionist Victory at Stretford, The Times, 11 December 1939, p. 5
  6. The Times, 16 October 1940, p.4; 16 September 1942, p.7
  7. "UK General Election results July 1945". Area Studies, UK: politics, elections and government in Britain. University of Keele. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Anthony Crossley		 Member of Parliament for Stretford
1939 –1945		 Succeeded by
Herschel Lewis Austin
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.