John Benedict Eden, Baron Eden of Winton, (15 September 1925 – 23 May 2020), known as Sir John Eden, 9th Baronet, from 1963 to 1983, was a British Conservative Party politician who served as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Bournemouth West from 1954 to 1983.

Background

Eden was the son of Sir Timothy Calvert Eden and Edith Mary Prendergast. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and St Paul's School,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

, in the US. He served as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

with the Rifle Brigade,

2nd Gurkha Rifles The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Ba ...

and the

Gilgit Scouts The Gilgit Scouts constituted a paramilitary force of the Gilgit Agency in northern Jammu and Kashmir. They were raised by the government of British India in 1913, on behalf of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, to police the northern front ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He was a nephew of

Sir Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

(1897–1977), who served as prime minister from 1955 to 1957, and he succeeded his father Sir Timothy Calvert Eden to his baronetcies in 1963. He was the 9th Baronet of West Auckland and the 7th Baronet of Maryland.

Career

After an unsuccessful attempt to contest the 1953 Paddington North by-election, Eden was first elected as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

(MP) for Bournemouth West at the 1954 Bournemouth West by-election, which he would continue to represent from 1954 until 1983. When first elected, he was the

Baby of the House Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament from which the term originated. The title is named after the Father of the Hous ...

, the youngest member of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

. He was appointed to the Privy Council on 10 April 1972 and was created a life peer as Baron Eden of Winton, of

Rushyford Rushyford is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated between Darlington and Durham, close to Newton Aycliffe and Chilton. About west of the village is Windlestone Hall, a 19th-century country house, historically the seat of the Ed ...

in the

County of Durham The County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge, commonly referred to as County Durham or simply Durham, is a historic county in Northern England. Until 1889, it was controlled by powers granted under the Bishopric of Durham. The county and Northum ...

on 3 October 1983, following his retirement from the House of Commons. He retired from the House of Lords on 11 June 2015 under the provisions of the

House of Lords Reform Act 2014 The House of Lords Reform Act 2014 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was a private member's bill. It received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014. The Act allows members of the House of Lords to retire or resign – actions previousl ...

. Following the death of Lord Healey on 3 October 2015, Eden became the oldest surviving former MP with the earliest date of first election. Appointments: * Member of the House of Commons Estimates committee (1960–1964) * Delegate to Council of Europe and West European Union (1960–1962) * Delegate to NATO Technology (June–October 1970) * Minister of State for Industry (1970–1972) * Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (1972–1974) * Member of the House of Commons Expenditure committee (1974–1976) * Chairman of the Select Committee on EEC Legislation (1976–1979) * Chairman of the Select Committee on Home Affairs (1980–1983) * Chairman of the British Lebanese Association (1990–1998) * Chairman of the Royal Armouries Association (1986–1994) * Member of Timken Company International Advisory Board * Chairman of Lady Eden's Schools Ltd

Family life

He was twice married: * 1) Belinda Jane Pascoe (1954 – divorced 1974); four children **

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Emily Rose Eden (born 1959) ** The Honourable Arabella Charlotte Eden (born 1960) ** The Honourable Sir Robert Frederick Calvert Eden (born 30 April 1964). The 10th Baronet of West Auckland and 8th Baronet of Maryland. ** The Honourable John "Jack" Edward Morton Eden (born 1966). Heir presumptive to the baronetcies. * 2) Margaret Ann Gordon (1977 – his death 2020). A former wife of the Earl of Perth.

Arms

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eden, John Benedict 1925 births 2020 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Conservative Party (UK) life peers Rifle Brigade officers Royal Gurkha Rifles officers Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Eton College UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 John Eden Indian Army personnel of World War II British Army personnel of World War II