Archibald Church
Encyclopedia
Major
Archibald George Church DSO
, MC
(7 September 1886 – 23 August 1954) was a British soldier and Labour Party
politician. He served as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Leyton East
from 1923 to 1924, and for Wandsworth Central
from 1929 to 1931.
In January 1919, Church was awarded the Military Cross
(MC) for his service with the Royal Garrison Artillery
(RGA) during the First World War, and in January 1920 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) for his service with the RGA in the Murmansk
Command during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War. The citation noted his "particular gallantry and zeal during the operations from Medevja-gora to Unitsa, 8th June to 26th July 1919".
at the 1922 general election
, when he was unsuccessful in the Conservative
safe seat
of Spelthorne
. At the 1923 general election
he won the Leyton East
seat from the Conservatives, but was defeated in 1924
. After five years out of Parliament, he took Wandsworth Central at the 1929 general election
from the Conservatives with a majority of only 300 votes (1.1% of the total).
In July 1931, Church introduced to the House of Commons a Ten Minute Rule
bill promoted by the Eugenics Education Society. He introduced the eugenics
measure as a "a Bill to enable mental defectives to undergo sterilizing operations or sterilizing treatment upon their own application, or that of their spouses or parents or guardians", but the real purpose of the Bill was to sterilise those who were refusing to consent or were incapable of consenting. Church described the Bill as "an experiment on a small scale so that later on we may have the benefit of the results and experience gained in order to come to conclusions before bringing in a Bill for the compulsory sterilisation of the unfit." The Commons voted by 167 votes to 89 to deny the Bill a second reading.
When the Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
left the party in 1931 to lead a Conservative-dominated National Government, Church was one of the few Labour MPs to support him. He followed MacDonald into the new National Labour Organisation, but did not stand again in Wandsworth at the at the 1931 general election
. Instead he stood as a National Independent in the London University constituency
, where he came second of two candidates, with only 27% of the votes.
He stood again twice, as a National Labour candidate in Bristol East
at the 1935 general election
and in Derby
at a by-election in July 1936, but never returned to Parliament.
In March 1934 he was appointed as a member of a Royal Commission
established to enquire into the organisation and work of the University of Durham.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Archibald George Church DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(7 September 1886 – 23 August 1954) was a British soldier and Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. He served as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Leyton East
Leyton East (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton East was a parliamentary constituency in the Municipal Borough of Leyton, then part of Essex but now in Greater London.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:The constituency...
from 1923 to 1924, and for Wandsworth Central
Wandsworth Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Wandsworth Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Wandsworth district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
from 1929 to 1931.
In January 1919, Church was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC) for his service with the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
(RGA) during the First World War, and in January 1920 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) for his service with the RGA in the Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
Command during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War. The citation noted his "particular gallantry and zeal during the operations from Medevja-gora to Unitsa, 8th June to 26th July 1919".
Political career
Church first stood for ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, when he was unsuccessful in the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
of Spelthorne
Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:...
. At the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
he won the Leyton East
Leyton East (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton East was a parliamentary constituency in the Municipal Borough of Leyton, then part of Essex but now in Greater London.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:The constituency...
seat from the Conservatives, but was defeated in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. After five years out of Parliament, he took Wandsworth Central at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
from the Conservatives with a majority of only 300 votes (1.1% of the total).
In July 1931, Church introduced to the House of Commons a Ten Minute Rule
Ten Minute Rule
The Ten Minute Rule, also known as Standing Order No. 23, is a procedure in the British Parliament for the introduction of Private Member's Bills in addition to the 20 per session normally permissible. It is one of the ways in which a bill may receive its first reading.Any MP may introduce a bill...
bill promoted by the Eugenics Education Society. He introduced the eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
measure as a "a Bill to enable mental defectives to undergo sterilizing operations or sterilizing treatment upon their own application, or that of their spouses or parents or guardians", but the real purpose of the Bill was to sterilise those who were refusing to consent or were incapable of consenting. Church described the Bill as "an experiment on a small scale so that later on we may have the benefit of the results and experience gained in order to come to conclusions before bringing in a Bill for the compulsory sterilisation of the unfit." The Commons voted by 167 votes to 89 to deny the Bill a second reading.
When the Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
left the party in 1931 to lead a Conservative-dominated National Government, Church was one of the few Labour MPs to support him. He followed MacDonald into the new National Labour Organisation, but did not stand again in Wandsworth at the at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
. Instead he stood as a National Independent in the London University constituency
London University (UK Parliament constituency)
London University was a university constituency electing one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1868 to 1950.-Boundaries, electorate and history:...
, where he came second of two candidates, with only 27% of the votes.
He stood again twice, as a National Labour candidate in Bristol East
Bristol East (UK Parliament constituency)
Bristol East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
and in Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
at a by-election in July 1936, but never returned to Parliament.
In March 1934 he was appointed as a member of a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
established to enquire into the organisation and work of the University of Durham.