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Robert Harcourt (Liberal politician)

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Robert Venables Vernon Harcourt(7 May 1878 – 8 September 1962) was a British diplomat, playwright, farmer andLiberal Partypolitician.

Family and education[edit]

Harcourt was the son of a Liberal statesman,Sir William Harcourt,who was briefly leader of the Liberal Party from 1896 to 1898 and his second wife Elizabeth Cabot Motley who was the daughter ofJohn Lothrop Motleysometime Minister of the United States in London and author of a number of works of history.[1]His brother,Lewis Vernon Harcourt,was also a LiberalMPand government minister.

Harcourt was educated atEton CollegeandTrinity College, Cambridge,where he took honours in the HistoryTripos.[2][3]At Cambridge, he was a committee member ofCambridge University Liberal Clubfrom 1899 to 1900.[4]

He was engaged to be married to Margery (or Marjorie) Cunard, the granddaughter and heiress of the founder of the famousCunard shipping concern,but the engagement was twice broken off.[5]However, Miss Cunard was eventually persuaded to relent, and she married Harcourt in 1911.[6]They had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth.

Career[edit]

Harcourt went into theForeign Service,serving as a Clerk on the diplomatic establishment of theForeign Officefrom 1900 to 1906.[7]He was then briefly engaged in journalism, being parliamentary correspondent of the magazine Tribune until he was elected to theHouse of Commonsata by-election in 1908.[8]After leaving the Commons, Harcourt went into farming at his country home nearLyndhurstin Hampshire where he eventually built up a pedigreeJerseyherd of about 50 head of cattle.[9]

War Service[edit]

During the First World War, Harcourt served as a lieutenant in theRoyal Naval Volunteer Reservefrom 1914 to 1918. He later served as apilot officerin theRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reservefrom February 1939 until August that year, after which he was promoted toflight lieutenant.[10]

Politics[edit]

Harcourt followed the Liberal family tradition. He stood unsuccessfully for theLondon County Councilseat ofMile Endin 1907, as aProgressive.TheMunicipal Reform Partyswept that election however and Harcourt turned his sights towards Parliament. He first stood for Parliament without success at theHastings by-election of 1908.[11]However another chance soon arrived with the elevation to the peerage ofJohn Morley.Morley had beenSecretary of State for Indiasince 1905 but he was given a seat in theHouse of Lordsto ease the burden of performing this office, so creating a vacancy in hisMontrose Burghsconstituency. The by-election was held on 12 May 1908. In a three-cornered contest, Harcourt held the seat for the Liberals with a majority of 1,146 overLabour,with theUnionistsin third place.[12]

Harcourt held his seat at Montrose at the general elections ofJanuaryandDecember 1910.He did not contest the seat at the1918 general electionand the seat was taken for theCoalitionLiberals byJohn Leng Sturrockin a straight fight against Labour.[13]

Harcourt was sometime Chairman of theReform Union.[14]

Dramatist[edit]

Harcourt was also a playwright. He published two three-act comedies;An Angel Unawares,which was produced byMiss Fanny Broughat Terry's Theatre in 1906, andA Question of Age,produced byHarley Granville-Barker[15]which played at the Court Theatre in 1907.[16]In addition while anMPhe successfully agitated for the appointment of a Parliamentary inquiry into the Censorship of Plays and was a member of the Joint Committee set up to examine the issue.[17]

Death[edit]

Harcourt died at the age of 84 years on 8 September 1962. He is buried at All Saints,Minsteadnear, Lyndhurst.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^The Times, 10 September 1962 p16
  2. ^"Harcourt, Robert Vernon (HRCT897RV)".A Cambridge Alumni Database.University of Cambridge.
  3. ^Who was Who,OUP 2007
  4. ^"About us".28 February 2009.
  5. ^New York Times, 6 February 1910
  6. ^The Times, 22 July 1911 p14
  7. ^The Times House of Commons 1910;Politico's Publishing, 2004 p97
  8. ^The Times, 10 September 1962 p16
  9. ^The Times, 10 September 1962 p16
  10. ^Who was Who,OUP 2007
  11. ^Ian Ivatt,The 1908 Hastings By-ElectioninJournal of Liberal History,Issue 59 – Summer 2008
  12. ^The Times House of Commons 1910;Politico's Publishing, 2004 p97
  13. ^The Times House of Commons 1919;Politico's Publishing, 2004 p46
  14. ^The Times, 8 December 1908 p9
  15. ^Charles Benjamin Purdom,Harley Granville Barker: man of the theatre, dramatist and scholar;Rockliff, 1955 p54
  16. ^The Times, 13 May 1908 p12
  17. ^The Times House of Commons 1911;Politico's Publishing, 2004 pp 106–107
  18. ^The Times, 14 September 1962 p12

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament forMontrose Burghs
1908–1918 		Succeeded by
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