Charles Kerruish Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Sir
Charles Kerruish
Honorific-Suffix:OBE LLD CP MLC
Office:Speaker of the House of Keys
Term Start:1962
Term End:1990
Predecessor:Henry Corlett
Successor:Victor Kneale
Governor:Ronald Garvey
Birth Date:23 July 1917
Birth Place:Isle of Man
Death Place:Isle of Man
Party:Independent
Nationality:Manx
Spouse:Margaret Gell (1970, her death)
Kathleen Warriner (2003, his death)
Children:1 son, 3 daughters,
Profession:Politician

Sir Henry Charles Kerruish OBE LLD CP MLC (23 July 1917[1] [2] – 2 August 2003)[3] was a Manx politician who was the first President of Tynwald and, as Speaker of the House of Keys from 1962 to 1990, was the longest-serving Speaker in any Parliament in the Commonwealth. He was also the first Chairman of the Executive Council, the forerunner of the present Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, from 1961 to 1967. This made him the first Manx person to fulfil an executive role on the Isle of Man. Previously the Lieutenant Governor had exercised all executive power. He was a keen supporter of Scouting on the Isle of Man, often offering his own lands for camping.

During the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a westerly wind brought much contaminated fallout across Europe, including the Isle of Man. Charles Kerruish disdained from culling his mouton based around Snaefell. He subsequently sold his slaughtered animals to the Manx population for consumption.

Unlike some of his contemporaries at the time, he devotedly supported the un-elected Legislative Council.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kerruish, Henry Charles . 2011-11-03 . tynwald.org . 3 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120414184124/http://www.tynwald.org.im/tynwald/biographies/kerruish-hc.pdf . 14 April 2012 .
  2. Web site: July 23 Birthdays in History . Brainyhistory.com . 2012-02-13.
  3. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030802/ai_n12706392