Constituency : Penryn and Falmouth 1923-4
Courtenay took Penryn and Falmouth from the Tories at the second attempt, helped by Labours withdrawal.
Courtenay was the son of a Welsh baronet. He succeeded his father in 1892 but had to surrender the title to his uncle in 1903 following research into the title. He legitimately succeeded his uncle in 1908. He was educated at Harrow. He became a barrister. In World War one he served in the Royal Flying Corps and became a captain. Courtenay was considered for a few Welsh seats although his aristocratic background made nonconformists suspicious of him. in 1918 he stood for Coventry as a Lloyd George supporter against the sitting Asquithian David Mason but the Tory was awarded the coupon and Courtenay came a poor third with Mason coming in fifth. In 1922 Courtenay was the Asquithian facing a National Liberal opponent, the former Truro MP George Morgan and came second in a four cornered contest with Morgan finishing bottom.
In 1924 Courtenay was defeated but would have easily held if Labour had not stood.
Courtenay was a traditional Gladstonian favouring Free Trade and retrenchment. Like Alfred Mond, he decided to leave the party over the controversial land reform policies in the Liberals' Green Book, declining a request to replace Mond as Liberal candidate in Carmarthen. Instead he stood for the Conservatives when Mond went to the Lords in 1928 but came third as the Liberals reclaimed the seat. In 1929 he stood for the University of Wales seat as a Tory but again came third.
Courtenay published two books of poetry.
He died in 1933 aged 54.
No comments:
Post a Comment