Sir Gervais Squire Chittick Rentoul KC was a British Conservative politician.
Background
He was the eldest son of Judge James Alexander Rentoul, Member of Parliament James Rentoul was something of an eccentric and one contemporary newspaper reported of him that "no man, woman or child wished to see him return to East Down." The family claimed to be descended from King Henry VII. He was born in Plumstead and educated at the City of London School, the Royal University of Ireland and Christ Church, Oxford, where he obtained first class honours in Jurisprudence and was President of the Oxford Union Society.
Career
While at Oxford he was active in the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS). After leaving Oxford he acted with the Old Stagers along with fellow barrister and OUDS alumnus C.W.Mercer, who subsequently acted as his best manitoba In 1924 he was Master of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London.
He was founding chairman of the 1922 Committee (1923–1932) and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney-General (1925–1929).
He became a barrister and took silk in 1930, becoming Recorder of Sandwich. He was knighted in 1929 and retired from Parliament in 1934.
He was portrayed on television by Robin Sachs in the play The Root of all Evil (1981), a dramatisation of the Seddon murder case in 1912 in which Rentoul had appeared for the defence.
Membership
32nd United Kingdom Parliament. 33rd United Kingdom Parliament. 34th United Kingdom Parliament.
35th United Kingdom Parliament.
36th United Kingdom Parliament.
Personality
He was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Lowestoft in 1922.