Edward Boyle
Encyclopedia
Edward Charles Gurney Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth CH
PC
(31 August 1923 – 28 September 1981) was a British
Conservative Party
politician, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds
.
, London
, the eldest son of Sir Edward Boyle, 2nd Baronet and succeeded to his father's baronet
cy in 1945. He was educated at Eton
and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford
in 1949. From 1942–45, he was a temporary junior administration officer at the Foreign Office. He worked at Bletchley Park
in intelligence.
for Birmingham Handsworth
, a seat he would hold until his retirement in 1970. During this time, he was also: Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Under-Secretary of State for Air
, from 1951–52 and to the Under-Secretary of State for Defence in 1952; Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of Supply
from 1954–55; Economic Secretary to the Treasury
from 1955–56; Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education from 1957–59; Financial Secretary to the Treasury
from 1959–62; Minister of Education
from 1962–64 and Minister of State for Education and Science in 1964.
age as Baron Boyle of Handsworth, of Salehurst
in the County of Sussex
and became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds that year. From 1970–81, he was a Trustee of the British Museum
, Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of UK Universities
from 1977–78.
In 1978 he had been due to deliver the Reith Lectures for the BBC. Despite 2 years preparation time, he withdrew with 3 months notice.
Boyle died in Leeds from terminal cancer aged 57 in 1981. He was unmarried and childless and his life peerage naturally became extinct, whilst his baronetcy passed to his brother, Richard.
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(31 August 1923 – 28 September 1981) was a British
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...
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, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
.
Early life and career
Boyle was born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the eldest son of Sir Edward Boyle, 2nd Baronet and succeeded to his father's baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy in 1945. He 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 graduated from Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
in 1949. From 1942–45, he was a temporary junior administration officer at the Foreign Office. He worked at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
in intelligence.
Political career
In 1950, he entered the Parliament as MPMember 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 Birmingham Handsworth
Birmingham Handsworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Birmingham Handsworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Handsworth district of Birmingham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, a seat he would hold until his retirement in 1970. During this time, he was also: Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Under-Secretary of State for Air
Under-Secretary of State for Air
The Under-Secretary of State for Air was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government, supporting the Secretary of State for Air in his role of managing the Royal Air Force....
, from 1951–52 and to the Under-Secretary of State for Defence in 1952; Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Supply
Minister of Supply
The Minister of Supply was the minister in the British Government responsible for the Ministry of Supply, which existed to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to the national armed forces...
from 1954–55; Economic Secretary to the Treasury
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury is the fifth most senior ministerial post in the UK Treasury, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster-General and the Financial Secretary...
from 1955–56; Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education from 1957–59; Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
from 1959–62; Minister of Education
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
from 1962–64 and Minister of State for Education and Science in 1964.
After 1970
In 1970, Boyle was awarded a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
age as Baron Boyle of Handsworth, of Salehurst
Salehurst
Salehurst is a village in the Rother District of East Sussex, England, within the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge. It lies immediately to the north-east of the larger village of Robertsbridge, on a minor road; it is approximately thirteen miles north of Hastings, just east of the A21...
in the County of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds that year. From 1970–81, he was a Trustee of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of UK Universities
Universities UK
Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...
from 1977–78.
In 1978 he had been due to deliver the Reith Lectures for the BBC. Despite 2 years preparation time, he withdrew with 3 months notice.
Boyle died in Leeds from terminal cancer aged 57 in 1981. He was unmarried and childless and his life peerage naturally became extinct, whilst his baronetcy passed to his brother, Richard.