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John Sanctuary Nicholson

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Brigadier-General
John Nicholson
Portrait of Nicholson by Raymond Woog
Member of Parliament for Westminster Abbey
In office
25 August 1921 – 21 February 1924
Preceded byWilliam Burdett-Coutts
Succeeded byOtho Nicholson
Personal details
Born
John Sanctuary Nicholson

(1863-05-19)19 May 1863
Kensington, London, England
Died21 February 1924(1924-02-21) (aged 60)
Mayfair, London, England
Political partyConservative
EducationHarrow School
Alma materRoyal Military College, Sandhurst
OccupationMilitary officer, politician

Brigadier-General John Sanctuary Nicholson CB CMG CBE DSO (19 May 1863 – 21 February 1924) was a British Army officer and politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1921 to 1924.

Early life and education

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Born in Kensington, London, the son of William Nicholson and his wife Isabella.[1] He was educated at Harrow and then, in 1882, the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.[1] He was commissioned in 7th Hussars in February 1884 and in 1886 he spent eight years in India with his regiment before in 1894 being sent to Natal.[1]

BSAP, Second Boer War and First World War

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The 7th Hussars joined a force at Mafeking to suppress a native rising in Matabeleland.[1] During these operations he raised and commanded a corps of British South Africa Police (BSAP).[1] He became Commandant-General of the BSAP and Inspector-General of Volunteers in Rhodesia from 1898 until 1903.[1] The Second Boer War took place in neighbouring South Africa from 1899 to June 1902, and to recognize his contribution, Nicholson was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the South Africa honours list published on 26 June 1902.[2] In 1903 he succeeded Baden-Powell as Inspector-General of South African Constabulary and retired from the post as a colonel in 1907.[1]

During the First World War he joined the British Expeditionary Force and from April 1915 to December 1918 was base commandant at Calais.[1] He had been promoted to brigadier-general in 1916 and retired from the Army in 1920.[1]

Political career

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With a father and brother both being members of parliament Nicholson contested a seat in East Dorset in the 1910 general election.[1] He lost by 426 votes to Captain Guest but after a petition Guest was unseated.[1] Nicholson stood again as a Conservative candidate in a by-election against Guest's brother Henry Guest but was defeated again by a small margin.[1] In the second general election of 1910 in December, he tried to get elected at Stafford but was defeated by 755 votes.[1]

In 1921, he was elected the Member of Parliament for the Westminster Abbey constituency in a by-election following the death of the incumbent MP William Burdett-Coutts. He was re-elected in the following two general elections in 1922 and 1923.

Death

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Nicholson, who had never married, died on 21 February 1924 of pneumonia at his house at South Audley Street, Mayfair aged 60.[3] A by-election was held to replace him as an MP.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "General Nicholson. Soldier, Organizer And Politician., The Abbey Division". Obituaries. The Times. No. 43582. London. 22 February 1924. col A, p. 17.
  2. ^ "No. 27448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1902. pp. 4191–4192.
  3. ^ "General Nicholson, M P.". Obituaries. The Times. No. 43582. London. 22 February 1924. col F, p. 12.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Westminster Abbey
19211924
Succeeded by