Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Henry Charles Guest (15 February 1874 – 9 October 1957), usually known as Henry Guest, was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Lieutenant-Colonel
Henry Guest
Member of Parliament
for Plymouth Drake
In office
15 June 1937 – 15 June 1945
Preceded byFrederick Guest
Succeeded byHubert Moses Medland
Member of Parliament
for Bristol North
In office
15 November 1922 – 16 November 1923
Preceded byEdwin Gange
Succeeded byWalter Ayles
Member of Parliament
for Pembroke and Haverfordwest
In office
December 1910 – 25 November 1918
Preceded byOwen Philipps
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Member of Parliament
for East Dorset
In office
30 June 1910 – 28 November 1910
Preceded byFrederick Guest
Succeeded byFrederick Guest
Personal details
Born
Christian Henry Charles Guest

15 February 1874
Died9 October 1957(1957-10-09) (aged 83)
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Frances Lyttelton
(m. 1911; died 1918)
Children1
Parents
Relatives

Family

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He was the second son of Ivor Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne and his wife Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill, an aunt of the future Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His elder brother Ivor Churchill Guest was one of the last Lord-Lieutenants of Ireland, and his younger brothers Frederick Guest and Oscar Guest were also members of parliament.

In 1911, he married the Honourable Frances Lyttelton (1885–1918), daughter of the 8th Viscount Cobham. They had one son, John Guest (1913–1997).[1]

Military career

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Guest obtained a commission in 3rd Battalion of the Lancaster Fusiliers in 1892, and in the 1st Royal Dragoons in 1894. He served in the Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899–1902 (despatches, Queen's medal 5 clasps, King's medal 2 clasps),[2] and 1901 was seconded for service on the Staff.[3] After the end of the war in South Africa he was from June 1902 Aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General Burn-Murdoch, General officer in command of the Standerton District.[4] He returned home from South Africa on the SS Saxon in late December 1902.[5] Guest then served in India 1903–07. Upon his return to the UK he attended Staff College in 1907, and was instructor in Cavalry School. He later served in World War I 1914–15 and 1918.[2]

Political career

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His younger brother Freddie was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for East Dorset at the January 1910 general election, but was unseated after election irregularities by his constituency agent. At the resulting by-election in June 1910, Henry was elected to succeed him.[6] At the December 1910 general election, Henry was returned for the Pembroke and Haverfordwest constituency and Freddie was re-elected for East Dorset.

When his Pembroke and Haverfordwest seat was abolished for the 1918 general election, Guest stood as a Coalition Liberal candidate in the Wandsworth Central seat in South London, where he came a poor third.[7]

He returned to the House of Commons at the 1922 general election, as National Liberal MP for Bristol North. However, he was defeated at the 1923 election, and stood aside in 1924 in favour of his brother Freddie.[7]

Henry did not stand for Parliament again until his brother's death in 1937, when he won the by-election for Freddie's seat of Plymouth Drake as a Conservative. He held that seat until his defeat at the 1945 general election.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "John Guest, 84, Investment Banker". The New York Times. 22 May 1997. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b 'GUEST, Lt-Col Hon. (Christian) Henry (Charles)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012
  3. ^ "No. 27340". The London Gazette. 2 August 1901. p. 5126.
  4. ^ "No. 27496". The London Gazette. 18 November 1902. p. 7340.
  5. ^ "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning Home". The Times. No. 36946. London. 9 December 1902. p. 5.
  6. ^ "Historical list of MPs: D, part 3". Leigh Rayment's Peerage pages. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ a b c Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for East Dorset
June 1910December 1910
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Pembroke and Haverfordwest
19101918
Constituency abolished
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bristol North
19221923
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Plymouth Drake
19371945
Succeeded by