Gilbert Campion, 1st Baron Campion

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Gilbert Francis Montriou Campion, 1st Baron Campion, GCB (11 May 1882 – 6 April 1958), known as Sir Gilbert Campion between 1937 and 1950, was a British civil servant. He served as Clerk of the House of Commons from 1937 to 1948.

Background and education[edit]

Campion was born on 11 May 1882 in Simla, British Raj, to John Montriou Campion and Grace Hannah (née Anderson). He was educated at Bedford School, an all-boys public school in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Having been awarded a scholarship, he studied literae humaniores (classics) at Hertford College, Oxford. He graduated with a double first Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1905.[1]

Career[edit]

Campion served in the First World War in the Royal Army Service Corps, British Army. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 1 December 1914,[2] and to temporary captain on 1 August 1915.[3] In 1917, he was injured in France.[1] On 15 June 1917, he relinquished his British Army commission on account of ill health, and was granted the honorary rank of captain.[4]

Having been invalided from the army, he was appointed secretary to the conference on reform of the House of Lords headed by James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce.[1] On 4 April 1921, he was appointed the Second Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons[5] and was promoted to be Clerk Assistant on 28 October 1930,[6][7] a post he held until 1937.

Honours[edit]

In the 1932 New Year Honours, he was appointed to the Order of the Bath as a Companion (CB).[8][9] On 31 July 1937 Campion was promoted to be the Under Clerk of the Parliaments.[10] He was the editor of the 14th and 15th editions of Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice.

Campion was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1938 New Year Honours (KCB).[11][12]

He was appointed to be a Knight Grand Cross (GCB) in the 1948 Birthday Honours[13] and retired that year as Under Clerk of the Parliaments, when he was replaced by Frederic Metcalfe CB.[14] In the 1950 Birthday Honours, his barony for "public services" was announced[15] and he was raised to the peerage as Baron Campion, of Bowes in the County of Surrey.[16]

Family[edit]

Campion married Hilda Mary, daughter of W. A. Spafford, in 1920. They had no children. He died in April 1958, aged 75, when the barony became extinct.

Arms[edit]

Coat of arms of Gilbert Campion, 1st Baron Campion
Crest
Issuant from a crest coronet Or a talbot's head Sable charged on the neck with a chevron cottised Gold.
Escutcheon
Argent a chevron cottised between three talbots' heads erased Sable.
Supporters
Dexter a lion Azure charged on the shoulder with a portcullis chained Or; sinister a lion Gules charged on the shoulder with a lotus flower also Or.[17]
Orders
Order of the Bath (not pictured)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Mackenzie, K. R.; Pottle, Mark. "Campion, Gilbert Francis Montriou, Baron Campion (1882–1958)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32276. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "No. 29014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1914. pp. 10904–10905.
  3. ^ "No. 29321". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 1915. p. 29321.
  4. ^ "No. 30129". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1917. p. 5849.
  5. ^ "No. 13695". The Edinburgh Gazette. 8 April 1921. p. 557.
  6. ^ "No. 33657". The London Gazette. 31 October 1930. p. 6739.
  7. ^ "No. 14701". The Edinburgh Gazette. 4 November 1930. p. 1178.
  8. ^ "No. 33785". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1932. p. 4.
  9. ^ "No. 14823". The Edinburgh Gazette. 5 January 1932. p. 12.
  10. ^ "No. 34423". The London Gazette. 3 August 1937. p. 4951.
  11. ^ "No. 34469". The London Gazette. 1 January 1938. p. 4.
  12. ^ "No. 15455". The Edinburgh Gazette. 7 January 1938. p. 17.
  13. ^ "No. 38311". The London Gazette. 4 June 1948. p. 3367.
  14. ^ "No. 38371". The London Gazette. 3 August 1948. p. 4356.
  15. ^ "No. 38929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1950. p. 2775.
  16. ^ "No. 38968". The London Gazette. 14 July 1950. p. 3622.
  17. ^ Burke's Peerage. 1956.
Government offices
Preceded by Clerk of the House of Commons
1937–1948
Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Campion
1950–1958
Extinct

External links[edit]