Sir Sydney Markham | |
|---|---|
 Frank Markham in April 1948 | |
| Member of Parliament forBuckingham | |
| In office 15 October 1951 – 25 September 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Aidan Crawley |
| Succeeded by | Robert Maxwell |
| Member of Parliament forNottingham South | |
| In office 14 November 1935 – 15 June 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Holford Knight |
| Succeeded by | Norman Smith |
| Member of Parliament forChatham | |
| In office 30 May 1929 – 7 October 1931 | |
| Preceded by | John Moore-Brabazon |
| Succeeded by | Park Goff |
| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
| In office 1931–1932 Serving with John Worthington &Ralph Glyn | |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay McDonald |
| Preceded by | Robert Morrison |
| Succeeded by | John Worthington &Ralph Glyn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sydney Frank Markham (1897-10-19)19 October 1897 Stony Stratford, England |
| Died | 13 October 1975(1975-10-13) (aged 77) Leighton Buzzard, England |
| Political party | Conservative (afterc. 1950) |
| Other political affiliations | Labour (until 1931) National Labour (1931–1945) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | until 1921 |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
Sir Sydney Frank Markham (19 October 1897 – 13 October 1975) was a British politician who represented three constituencies, each on behalf of a different party, inParliament. He was elected as theLabour member forChatham from 1929, and defected to theNational Labour Organisation by the 1931 election, at which he was returned as the member forNottingham South. He served until his defeat in 1945. He then joined theConservative Party, and was the MP forBuckingham from 1951 to 1964.
Born inStony Stratford, he left school at the age of fourteen.[1] Following service in France, Greece and Mesopotamia during theFirst World War, he was awarded a commission, and left the Army in 1921.[1] He studied atWadham College, Oxford and then became an assistant toSir Sidney Lee with his work onShakespeare.[1] He later became Secretary, then President, of theMuseums Association.[2]
Having foughtGuildford forLabour in1924, he was elected for that party at the1929 general election as MP forChatham, and defected withRamsay MacDonald to become aNational Labour MP just before standing down at the1931 general election.[1] It was under these colours that he was elected forNottingham South in1935.[1] He lost this seat standing as a 'National Independent' in the1945 general election, following the official dissolution of National Labour.
At the1950 general election, he stood as the Conservative candidate in theBuckingham constituency, but failed to unseat the sittingLabourMember of Parliament,Aidan Crawley.[1] However, at the1951 general election, he beat Crawley by a majority of only 54 votes. He held the seat with narrow majorities at the1955 election and at the1959 election and stood down before the1964 general election.[1]
In 1928, Markham married Frances Lawman from Newport Pagnel, and they had five children Three boys and two girls.[1]
He was conferred the honour ofKnighthood by QueenElizabeth II on 30 June 1953 in the1953 Coronation Honours.[3] He was a Fellow of theRoyal Historical Society, theRoyal Meteorological Society and theRoyal Geographical Society.
In retirement, he was best noted for hisA History of Milton Keynes and District (two volumes)ISBN 0-900804-29-7 (seeHistory of Milton Keynes). A secondary school in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire - now replaced - was named after him. He died at his home inLeighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on 13 October 1975, and is buried in Calverton Road cemetery,Stony Stratford in Milton Keynes, along with his wife Frances.[1]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forChatham 1929–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNottingham South 1935–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBuckingham 1951–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 1931–1932 serving alongsideJohn Worthington andRalph Glyn | Succeeded by |
