Sunday, 10 December 2017
1759 Godfrey Collins
Constituency : Greenock 1910-36 ( from 1931 Liberal National )
Godfrey took over from Halley Stewart at Greenock, considerably increasing the Liberal majority.
Godfrey's family ran a major publishing firm . Godfrey joined the navy in 1888 and worked in India in the 1890s. He was PPS to John Seeley from 1910 to 1914 and then to John Gulland from 1915.
Godfrey served in the Near East during World War One and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
In 1918 Godfrey did not receive the coupon and his Conservative opponent was included on the published list. However, a telegram was issued making it clear there was no couponed candidate and Godfrey held his seat.
Godfrey made it clear he was prepared to support the government although he was still invited to the meeting of independent Liberals in 1918.
Godfrey was a junior whip from 1919 to 1920. After leaving this office he convened a meeting of backbench MPs to promote reunion.
In 1924 Godfrey became Chief Whip for the Liberals,
Despite voting for the King's Speech in 1930, Godfrey joined the Liberal Nationals in 1931 and was Secretary of State for Scotland from 1932 to 1936. In 1934 he had to deal with a dispute over who had rights to the body of the Loch Ness Monster should it be shot. He declared in favour of Scotland commenting that Scottish nationalism was "thriving greatly under the Monster's beneficient influence".
He died in office in 1936 aged 61.
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