Anthony Fell (politician)

Sir Anthony Fell (18 May 1914 – 20 March 1998)[1] was a British Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons for most of the years from 1951 to 1983.

Sir Anthony Fell
Member of Parliament
for Great Yarmouth
In office
1951–1966
Preceded byErnest Kinghorn
Succeeded byHugh Gray
In office
1970–1983
Preceded byHugh Gray
Succeeded byMichael Carttiss
Personal details
Born18 May 1914
Kilbride, Scotland
Died20 March 1998(1998-03-20) (aged 83)
Lambeth, London, England
Political partyConservative
ParentDavid Mark Fell (father)
RelativesSir Arthur Fell (grandfather)
Michael Fell (son)

Early life

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He was educated in New Zealand and at Bedford School.[2] Fell married June Fell in 1938; the couple had two children, Michael Fell (born in 1939) and Patricia (born in 1940).[3] Fell had a strong interest in the arts and encouraged and supported his son, Michael, in establishing himself as an artist. [4]

Political career

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Fell first stood for Parliament in a by-election for the seat of Brigg in 1948, but was defeated by Labour's Lance Mallalieu. He stood in another by-election a year later for Hammersmith South, but was beaten by Thomas Williams, as he was in the 1950 General Election.

He was elected at the 1951 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Yarmouth, a seat which had been held at the start of the 20th century by his grandfather Sir Arthur Fell.[5] In 1957 he resigned the Conservative whip along with eight other Conservative Members of Parliament in protest at the reopening of the Suez Canal under Egyptian ownership.[6] Yarmouth returned him to the Commons at three further elections. At the 1966 general election, Labour's Hugh Gray won the seat, with a majority of 797.

Fell regained the seat at the 1970 general election, with a majority of over 3,000,[7] and retained it through three further elections until he retired, aged 69, at the 1983 general election. He was knighted in 1982. His successor was Michael Carttiss, another Conservative.

Fell was a member of the Conservative Monday Club.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)
  2. ^ "Who's Who". 1 December 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Biographies | Anthony (Tony) FELL (#4389) - The Cobbold Family History Trust". family-tree.cobboldfht.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Biographies | Michael FELL (#4391) - The Cobbold Family History Trust". family-tree.cobboldfht.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Marginal Seats Regained Conservative Success In East Anglia". The Times. London. 27 October 1951. pp. 3, col D.
  6. ^ "Capitulation to Nasser". The Times. London. 14 May 1957. pp. 10, col A.
  7. ^ "UK General Election results 1970". Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  8. ^ Copping, Robert, The Story of The Monday Club - The First Decade, Current Affairs Information Unit, London, April 1972: 21
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Yarmouth
19511966
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Yarmouth
19701983
Succeeded by