Harry Hylton-Foster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir Harry Braustyn Hylton-Foster (April 10, 1905 – September 2, 1965), was a British Conservative Party politician who served as an Member of Parliament (MP) from 1950 until his death. He was also the Speaker of the House of Commons for the final six years of his life.
Hylton-Foster was born in Surrey, his father was a barrister, and he was educated at Eton College before reading jurisprudence at Magdalen College, Oxford, in which he graduated with a first-class degree. He was called to the bar in 1928, at which time he was also working as a legal secretary for Robert Finlay, 1st Viscount Finlay.
During World War II Hylton-Foster served in the Royal Air Force volunteer reserve and also as a deputy judge advocate in North Africa. After the end of the war, he stood as a candidate for the Shipley seat in the 1945 general election, but was unsuccessful. However, in the 1950 election he succeeded in taking the York seat, a seat he held for the next two elections before standing for the safer seat for the Cities of London and Westminster in the 1959 election.
In 1954 Hylton-Foster was named as the Solicitor General for England and Wales and also received his knighthood. The fact that he was serving as the Solicitor General when he was named as the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1959 was a source of some controversy, which was confounded by the fact that the Labour party felt they had been insufficiently consulted about the nomination. However, once the controversy died down Hylton-Foster proved to be a popular and respected Speaker. He died in 1965 whilst still in office. His wife, Audrey, was given a life peerage as Baroness Hylton-Foster in his honour the same year.
Hylton-Foster and his wife are buried together in the churchyard of St Barnabas Church, Ranmore Common, Surrey.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Corlett |
Member of Parliament for the City of York 1950–1959 |
Succeeded by Charles Longbottom |
| Preceded by Sir Harold Webbe |
Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster 1959–1965 |
Succeeded by John Smith |
| Preceded by William Morrison |
Speaker of the House of Commons 1959–1965 |
Succeeded by Dr. Horace King |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller |
Solicitor General for England and Wales 1954–1959 |
Succeeded by Sir Jocelyn Simon |
