Ralph Etherton | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Stretford | |
| In office 8 December 1939 – 15 June 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Crossley |
| Succeeded by | Herschel Lewis Austin |
| Majority | 18,984 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 February 1904 |
| Died | 10 December 1987 (aged 83) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1944-1945 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
Ralph Humphrey Etherton (11 February 1904 – 10 December 1987) was a British barrister and Conservative politician. He was the son of Captain Louis Etherton.[1] He was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1926.[2][3]
He became involved in Conservative politics, failing to win a parliamentary seat at Everton, Liverpool in 1935. In 1937, he unsuccessfully stood for election to the London County Council as a Municipal Reform Party candidate.[4] Two tears later, the 1939 Stretford by-election was caused by the death of Anthony Crossley, Member of Parliament for Stretford. Etherton won the contest and was elected to the seat.[5]
Etherton joined the Royal Air Force, rising from the rank of Pilot Officer to Flight Lieutenant.[6] On 15 December 1944, he married Johanne Cloherty in St Mary Undercroft, the crypt chapel of the Palace of Westminster.[1] He met his future wife while she was Charles de Gaulle's diplomatic driver.[2]
He lost his parliamentary seat at the 1945 general election.[7] He retired from active politics and pursued a career in business. He died in December 1987, aged 82.[2]
- ^ a b Marriages, The Times, 16 December 1944
- ^ a b c Obituary of Mr Ralph Etherton, The Times, 9 January 1988
- ^ Bar Examinations, 13 January 1926, p. 18
- ^ Fight To Govern London, The Times, 2 March 1937, p. 13
- ^ Unionist Victory at Stretford, The Times, 11 December 1939, p. 5
- ^ The Times, 16 October 1940, p. 4; 16 September 1942, p. 7
- ^ "UK General Election results July 1945". Area Studies, UK: politics, elections and government in Britain. University of Keele. Retrieved 22 August 2008.