James William Greig
Colonel Sir James William Greig CB VD KC (31 January 1859 – 10 June 1934[1]) was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1910 to 1922.
Early life[]
Greig was the son of John Borthwick Greig from Abingdon Street, Westminster, and his wife Mary, daughter of William Grant from Madeira.[2] He was educated at University College School and at University College London, where he graduated with a BA and LL.B.[2] He also studied in Paris at the Sorbonne and at the Collège de France.[3]
Career[]
Greig was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1882,[2] and practised at the Parliamentary Bar and in Chancery Bar.[3] He became a King's Counsel (KC) in 1913[4] and a bencher in 1917.[2] He became standing arbitrator under the Railways Act 1921.[3]
He was elected at the January 1910 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Western Renfrewshire.[5][6] He was re-elected in December 1910,[7] and in 1917 he became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary for Scotland, Robert Munro.[2] He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1918.[2]
At the 1918 general election he was re-elected in Western Renfrewshire[8] as a Coalition Liberal,[9] i.e. a supporter of David Lloyd George's coalition government. He was knighted in June 1921,[10] but he was defeated when he stood as a National Liberal at the 1922 general election.[9] He contested Berwick and Haddington at the 1929 general election, but came third with 26% of the votes.[11]
Greig also served in the Volunteer Force, and by 1908 he was a Lieutenant-Colonel and Honorary Colonel of the 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle Corps.[12] When the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 merged the Volunteers with the remaining units of militia and Yeomanry, he became Lieutenant-Colonel and Honorary Colonel commanding the 14th Battalion of the County of London (London Scottish) Regiment of the new Territorial Force.[12] He was awarded the Volunteer Decoration.[10]
Family[]
Greig married Jeannie Taylor, daughter of Captain Edward Brown from Salem, Massachusetts.[3] She died in 1931.[3]
Greig died suddenly on 10 June 1934, at his home in Hyde Park Gate, London.[3] He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, and his ashes were interred at West Hampstead Cemetery.[13] A memorial service was held at St Columba's Church in Pont Street.[3]
His estate was valued at £27,921 (gross).[14]
References[]
- ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)}[better source needed] }}
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hesilridge, Arthur G. M. (1918). Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1918. London: Dean & Son. p. 67. https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1918londuoft#page/67/mode/1up.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Sir James Greig, K.C. Lawyer, Politician, And Soldier". London. 12 June 1934. pp. 16, col E.
- ↑ "No. 28766". 21 October 1913. p. 7336. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28766/page/7336
- ↑ "No. 28338". 11 February 1910. p. 1039. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28338/page/1039
- ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1989). British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 558. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
- ↑ "No. 28449". 23 December 1910. p. 9559. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28449/page/9559
- ↑ "No. 31147". 28 January 1919. p. 1366. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31147/page/1366
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 645. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "No. 32346". 4 June 1921. p. 4530. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32346/page/4530
- ↑ Craig, election results 1918–1949, page 619
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "No. 28150". 23 June 1908. p. 4559. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28150/page/4559
- ↑ "Deaths". London. 14 June 1934. p. 19, col D.
- ↑ "Wills and Bequests". London. 23 August 1934. p. 13, col B.
External links[]
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James William Greig
The original article can be found at James Greig (British politician) and the edit history here.