Osmund Somers Cleverly

Sir Osmund Somers Cleverly CB CVO (1891[1] – 21 October 1966) was a British Civil Servant who, between 1935 and 1939, served as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.[2][3]

Sir

Osmond Somers Cleverly

CB CVO
Born
London
Baptised10 December 1891
Died21 October 1966
NationalityBritish
Alma materMagdalen College, Oxford
OccupationCivil Servant
Years active1919-1952; 1954-1955
Known forPrincipal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Spouse(s)Priscilla Simpson
Children3

Early life

He was born in 1891 at London to artist, Charles Frederick Moore Cleverly and Mary Isabel Cleverly.[4] His baptism is recorded as having taken place on 10 December 1891 in the parish of St. Mary the Virgin.[4] For his schooling he was educated at Rugby School and Magdalen College, Oxford. Following the outbreak of the First World War he saw active service in India and Mesopotamia between 1914 and 1919.[2][3]

Civil service

War Office

After the war he entered the British Civil Service, where he worked at the War Office between 1919 and 1935.[3]

Principal Private Secretary

In 1935 he was appointed Private Secretary and then Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. In this capacity he served the British Prime Ministers Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain between 1935 and 1939.[2][3]

Ministry of Supply

He served as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Supply in the early years of the Second World War between 1939 and 1941.[3]

Commissioner of Crown Lands

From 1941 to 1952 he was Commissioner of Crown Lands and was called out of retirement to fill the role between 1954 and 1955 after the Crichel Down Affair.[2][3]

Personal life

Cleverly married Priscilla Simpson, daughter of Prof. Frederick Moore Simpson FRIBA[5], in 1920 with whom he had two sons and a daughter. He was awarded his Knighthood in 1951.[2][3]

He died on 21 October 1966 with his funeral held at St. James's Church in Shere, Surrey.[2][6]

References
  1. "Sir Osmund Somers Cleverly - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  2. "Sir Osmund Cleverly". The Times (56769). 22 October 1966. p. 10.
  3. Streat, Raymond, Sir. (1987). Lancashire and Whitehall : the diary of Sir Raymond Streat. Dupree, Marguerite. Manchester [Greater Manchester]: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719023904. OCLC 15550694.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p81/mrv/002
  5. Furlong, Gillian. Treasures from UCL. University College, London. London. ISBN 9781910634363. OCLC 927026022.
  6. "Court Circular". The Times (56771). 25 October 1966. p. 14.
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