Robert Burton-Chadwick Explained

Sir Robert Burton-Chadwick, 1st Baronet
Constituency Mp:Wallasey
Term Start:15 November 1922
Term End:7 October 1931
Predecessor:Bouverie McDonald
Successor:John Moore-Brabazon
Constituency Mp2:Barrow-in-Furness
Term Start2:14 December 1918
Term End2:26 October 1922
Predecessor2:Charles Duncan
Successor2:Daniel Somerville
Birth Date:20 June 1869
Party:Conservative

Sir Robert Burton-Chadwick, 1st Baronet (20 June 1869 – 21 May 1951) was a shipping magnate and an English Conservative Party politician.

Chadwick was born at Oxton, Cheshire,[1] the son of Joseph Chadwick, being baptised with the name of Robert Chadwick. He was head of the shipping firm of Chadwick and Askew, of London and Liverpool and was eventually Director of Chadwick, Weir and Company, of London.

Chadwick served with the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry in the Second Boer War from 1900 to 1901. During World War I, he became an Honorary Captain in the Hospital service of Royal Naval Reserve. He was decorated with the Royal Humane Society certificate for saving life.

Chadwick was elected as M.P. for Barrow in Furness in 1918 and in 1922 took the seat of Wallasey which he held until 1931. He held membership of a number of political organisations associated with the right of the Conservative Party, notably the British Fascists and the Middle Class Union.[2] He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade between 1924 and 1928.

Having been knighted in 1920, he was created a baronet, of Bidston in the County Palatine of Chester on 3 July 1935. He changed his name by deed poll to Robert Burton-Chadwick in 1936.

From 1940 to 1947 he was Counsellor to the British Embassy at Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Chadwick married Catherine Barbara Williams, daughter of Thomas Williams, in 1903. Their eldest son Noel was killed in action serving with the Royal Air Force in 1941. His second son Robert became 2nd Baronet on the death of his father in Westminster registration district aged 81 in 1951.

Notes and References

  1. British Census 1881
  2. Thomas P. Linehan, British fascism, 1918-39: parties, ideology and culture, Manchester University Press, 2000, p. 45