Arthur Shirley Benn, 1st Baron Glenravel

Lord Glenravel

Arthur Shirley Benn, 1st Baron Glenravel KBE (20 December 1858 – 13 June 1937), known as Sir Arthur Shirley Benn, Bt, between 1926 and 1936, was a British businessman and politician.

Background

The son of Reverend John Watkins Benn, he married Alys Maria Luling, daughter of Florenz Augustus Luling^[1] of New Orleans and later of Mobile, Alabama, on 9 May 1888.^[2]

Education

Benn studied at Clifton College, then at Inner Temple. He became a managing director, then the British Vice-Consul to Mobile, Alabama.

Political career

Benn became active in the Conservative Party, and stood in Battersea at the 1906 general election. In 1907, he was elected to London County Council, a post he held for four years. He stood in Battersea again in January 1910. In December, he was instead elected at Plymouth.

Benn moved to represent Plymouth Drake in 1918, and in the Birthday Honours that year was appointed to the Order of the British Empire as a Knight Commander (KBE).^[3] In 1921, he became the President of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, a position he held until 1923, and also became the Chair of the National Unionist Association. In 1926 he was created a baronet, of Plymouth in the County of Devon.^[4] From 1927, he was the Director of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Benn lost his seat in 1929, and at the next general election in 1931 was elected for Sheffield Park, but then lost this seat in 1935. In 1936 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Glenravel, of Kensington in the County of London.^[5] He died the following year, aged 78, without issue, when the baronetcy and barony became extinct.

Styles of address

• 1858–1910: Mr Arthur Shirley Benn
• 1910–1918: Mr Arthur Shirley Benn MP
• 1918–1926: Sir Arthur Shirley Benn KBE MP
• 1926–1929: Sir Arthur Shirley Benn Bt KBE MP
• 1929–1931: Sir Arthur Shirley Benn Bt KBE
• 1931–1935: Sir Arthur Shirley Benn Bt KBE MP
• 1935–1936: Sir Arthur Shirley Benn Bt KBE
• 1936–1937: The Rt Hon. The Lord Glenravel KBE^{[lower-alpha 1]}

1. Although The Lord Glenravel was a baronet, by custom the post-nominal of "Bt" is omitted, as Peers of the Realm do not list subsidiary hereditary titles.

References

1. Bruno, Stephanie (November 27, 2004). "LULING MANSION PRESIDES OVER NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR THE TRACK". Picayune Times.
2. Pine, L. G. (1972). The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms. London: Heraldry Today. ISBN 0900455233.
3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30730. p. 6686. 7 June 1918.
4. The London Gazette: no. 33191. p. 5371. 13 August 1926.
5. The London Gazette: no. 34252. p. 730. 4 February 1936.

• Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees, Who's Who of British MPs: Volume III, 1919-1945

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Arthur Shirley Benn