Somerset Struben

Background

De Chair was the younger son of Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Knight Commander of the Order of Street Michael and Saint George, MVO.

Education

Balliol College.

Career

He first was married on 8 October 1932 to Thelma Grace Arbuthnot (1911–1974), with whom he had two sons: Rodney Somerset and Peter Dudley. Somerset and Lady Juliet had a daughter, Helena, who married Jacob Rees-Mogg. He was one of the Conservatives who voted against the Government in the crucial Norway Debate in May 1940 that brought Winston Churchill into office.

He was educated at The King"s School, Parramatta in New South Wales between 1923 and 1930 before attending Balliol College, Oxford.

Having been a cadet in the Officers" Training Corps at Oxford, he was able to be commissioned as a Reserve Second Lieutenant of the Life Guards in 1938. He was mobilised on 24 August 1940, a few days before the United Kingdom"s entry into World World War World War II He served as an intelligence officer with the 4th Cavalry Brigade during Anglo-Iraqi War and the Syrian Campaign where he was wounded on 21 June 1941.

Later service was with the General Staff with the rank of Acting Captain. He was a Parliamentary Private Secretary 1942-1944.

He wrote historical nonfiction, a number of now largely forgotten novels, one play, three collections of poetry, as well as a number of works of autobiography.

De Chair was known for his extravagant taste and lived in a series of large country houses. He lived between 1944 and 1949 at Chilham Castle and leased Blickling Hall from the Marquess of Lothian.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The golden carpet,

    (The Golden Carpet)

  • Enter Napoleon,
  • The impending storm,
  • Friends, Romans, concubines
  • The legend of the Yellow River

Membership

37th United Kingdom Parliament. 39th United Kingdom Parliament]

He was Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Paddington South from 1950 to 1951.

Personality

He was Conservative Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk between 1935 and 1945, losing his seat by 53 votes.