Christopher Holland-Martin
Encyclopedia
Christopher John Holland-Martin (16 November 1910 – 5 April 1960) was a British
banker and Conservative Party
politician.
, Holland-Martin was educated at Eton
and Balliol College
, Oxford
. He followed his father's profession but in 1939 was commissioned in the Royal Fusiliers (Territorial Army). Invalided out of the Army, Holland-Martin was appointed Military Secretary to the Governor-General of New Zealand
, Cyril Newall
from 1942 to 1944. He briefly held the same post in relation to the Governor of Kenya
in 1945.
from 1947; two years later he married Lady Anne Cavendish MBE
, daughter of the Duke of Devonshire
.
, Holland-Martin was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament
for Ludlow
. His experience in financial matters was often in evidence in House of Commons debates, although he was generally low profile. He remained involved in business throughout his time in Parliament.
. With the Bank's shares vested in the Crown, the Directorship was technically an 'office of profit under the crown' and as such a disqualification from the House of Commons
. Holland-Martin immediately resigned his office while the law was changed and an Act of Parliament was passed to indemnify him from the consequences of having acted as a Member of Parliament while disqualified.
in January 1960, he suffered a heart attack
and was confined to bed at Government House; he was returned to Britain but died at his home in Colwall
, Herefordshire
in April.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
banker and Conservative Party
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...
politician.
Early career
The son of the Chairman of Martins BankMartins Bank
Martins Bank Limited was a Liverpool-based British finanical services company that was taken over by Barclays Bank in 1969. The company has its origins in the 16th century and was said to have been founded by Sir Thomas Gresham, who began trading in Lombard Street under the sign of a grasshopper...
, Holland-Martin was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He followed his father's profession but in 1939 was commissioned in the Royal Fusiliers (Territorial Army). Invalided out of the Army, Holland-Martin was appointed Military Secretary to the Governor-General of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, Cyril Newall
Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM , was a British soldier and airman, who headed the Royal Air Force as the Chief of the Air Staff during the early part of the Second World War before serving as the sixth Governor-General of New Zealand...
from 1942 to 1944. He briefly held the same post in relation to the Governor of Kenya
Colonial Heads of Kenya
-List of the colonial heads of Kenya:For continuation after independence, see: Heads of state of Kenya-See also:*Kenya**Heads of state of Kenya**Heads of Government of Kenya...
in 1945.
Post-war
After the war, Holland-Martin was appointed a Director of Martins Bank. He also became involved in politics and was made Joint Honorary Treasurer of the Conservative PartyConservative 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...
from 1947; two years later he married Lady Anne Cavendish MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, daughter of the Duke of Devonshire
Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire
Victor Christian William Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire , known as Victor Cavendish until 1908, was a British politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 11th since Canadian Confederation....
.
Parliament
At the 1951 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, Holland-Martin was elected as Conservative 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,...
for Ludlow
Ludlow (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludlow is a county 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....
. His experience in financial matters was often in evidence in House of Commons debates, although he was generally low profile. He remained involved in business throughout his time in Parliament.
Disqualification question
In 1955 he was caught up in a minor constitutional crisis over his local Directorship of the Bank of New ZealandBank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest banks and has been operating continuously in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in December 1861...
. With the Bank's shares vested in the Crown, the Directorship was technically an 'office of profit under the crown' and as such a disqualification from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. Holland-Martin immediately resigned his office while the law was changed and an Act of Parliament was passed to indemnify him from the consequences of having acted as a Member of Parliament while disqualified.
Death
Later in the 1950s Holland-Martin became involved in many African-related mining and exploration companies. While on a visit to Southern RhodesiaSouthern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
in January 1960, he suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and was confined to bed at Government House; he was returned to Britain but died at his home in Colwall
Colwall
Colwall is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England on the border with Worcestershire, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in April.