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Who's Who in and Around Leicester

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This is Page Eight

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Who's Who Sections:

Section 14: [Honourary Freedom]�Section 15 [Leicester, Massachusetts]

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Section 16: [Really Not Very Famous At All]� Section 17: [Featured Personality]

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[Return to Index Page]

Section Fourteen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Honourary Freedom ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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List of persons upon whom the honorary "Freedom of the City" has been conferred:

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Click on the name for additional information

~ Lord Richard Samuel Attenborough ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in November 1989. Oscar winning film actor, conservationist, philanthropist and director of such films as "Gandhi," "Shadowlands," "Cry Freedom," and most recently, "Grey Owl."� He has starred in numerous stage plays and more than 60 films and made his screen debut opposite Noel Coward in the 1942 classic "In Which We Serve."� He was born in Cambridge in 1923 but spent part of his childhood, including schooling, in Leicester. David and Richard's father, Frederick Levi Attenborough, was Principal of Leicester University College and he used to encourage the boys to visit the New Walk Museum, a place with which he was long involved himself. Lord Richard has received many honours including being made a Freeman of the City of Leicester and holding numerous honorary degrees: Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Chevalier de la legion d'Honner. He has received the Martin Luther King Jnr Peace Prize and India's Padma Bhusan. Attenborough was awarded the CBE in 1967 and a Knighthood in1976. In the 1993 Birthday Honours he was created a life peer, becoming Lord Attenborough of Richmond-upon-Thames where he has made his home for the past forty eight years.

~ Sir David Frederick Attenborough ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in November 1989. World-renown naturalist and producer of wildlife films. Both David and his brother Richard attended Wyggeston Boy's School in Leicester. Sir David is probably Britain's best-known natural history film-maker. His career has spanned four decades and during that time he has travelled to some of the world's remotest regions. He took his first international flight in 1954, before the world was shrunk by jet engines and modern navigational aids. Before his time with the BBC, he joined the Navy in order to travel; however, they put him on an aircraft carrier moored to a buoy in the middle of the Firth of Forth, which wasn't exactly the kind of travel he had in mind. After his service years, he joined the BBC as a trainee, but he found the studio format unimaginative and longed to take a camera outside to film. It was some time before he could overcome the studios reluctance for such ventures. Read more on his life by following the link (left) for an interview with Sir David, or see the comments from the brother's visit to Leicester on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Leicester Museums link --> [Link].�

~ David Beatty ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in January 1919. David Beatty joined the Navy in 1884 and served in the Sudan (1896-98) and China (during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion). He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1910 and appointed Naval Secretary to Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty. Early in World War I he saw action in the Heligoland Bight, the Dogger Bank and Jutland, where he successfully enticed the German Navy into the arms of Jellicoe's Grand Fleet approaching from the North. At the end of 1916, aged only 45, Beatty was promoted Acting Admiral and succeeded Jellicoe as Commander-in-Chief. In September 1919 he was created an earl and appointed First Sea Lord, a post he held until 1927. Lord Beatty, who lived in Brooksby Hall, Leicestershire, died in 1936 and was buried in Saint Paul's Cathedral, London. There is a bronze bust of David Beatty in the church of St Michaels and All Angels, Brookesby. Beatty is depicted wearing dress uniform and his Order of Merit. The simple inscription reads: "Beatty of Brooksby and the North Sea 1871-1936."� This entry courtesy of Max Wade-Matthews.

~ Charles John Bond ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in April 1925. Dr. Charles John Bond CMG, FRCS lived at one time (1936) at Fernshaw, Springfield Road in Leicester. He was Honorary Consultant Surgeon at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in 1932. In more recent times, the C. J. Bond Memorial Fund was established by subscription in his memory as a founder and former Vice-President of the University College of Leicester. The purpose of the Fund was (and still is) to assist undergraduates, first year postgraduate students and ESF trainees in Biological Sciences to attend scientific meetings or to visit scientific institutions in the U.K. for short periods... Oh, but it seems that our Dr. Bond had a number of other irons in the fire: he was the Eugenics Society Vice President from 1930 to 1932 and a Fellow of the Society in 1937. He was also co-founder of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and on the Committee to establish the Bureau of Human Heredity. Amongst his publications were: "Causes of Racial Decay," ER, 1928-29 and "The Nature and Meaning of Evil and Suffering as Seen from an Evolutionary Viewpoint," 1937. Quote: "sterilisation... should be applied to cases of irresponsible persons of low intelligence and weak will" (from a speech at the Modern Churchmen's Conference 21 August 1930 as reported in the Times). Footnote: Eugenics - in the narrowest sense, to do with the production of better offspring by improvement of inherited qualities. However, the prevention of inherited qualities that are not an improvement is also part of the equation. This leads to things such as mandatory sterilization for certain groups deemed unsuitable to reproduce.

~ Douglas Haig ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in February 1922. Earl Haig of Bemersyde, Field Marshal. Douglas Haig was born in Edinburgh in 1861 and educated at Oxford and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, where he was commissioned in the 7th Hussars. Active service in Egypt and South Africa, was followed by staff and command assignments in India. In 1914 Haig became a lieutenant general and was given command over the 1st Army Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France and Belgium. Haig commanded his forces well during the early engagements and was especially praised for his Ypres campaign in 1914. Later in the same year, Haig was promoted to full general and was given command of the recently enlarged BEF, under the strict and supreme command of General John French. In December 1915, Haig was then appointed commander in chief of the BEF. Haig now become under extreme pressure from the French to produce a diversion from Verdun. The First Battle of the Somme was fought from July to November 1916. In that time Allied forces advanced 12km and suffered 420,000 British and 200,000 French casualties. In 1918 Haig took charge of the successful British advances on the Western Front which led to an Allied victory later that year. After the war Haig's management of the major campaigns, notably on the Somme, in 1916, and at Passchendaele in 1917, was criticized by David Lloyd George, the British prime minister. Some military historians have claimed that Haig tactics were deeply flawed. Others have defended his actions and claimed that his approach was largely determined by French demands for continuous action at that part of the Western Front. After the war Haig was then posted as commander in chief of home forces until his retirement in 1921. Haig, who was granted �100,000 by the British government, devoted the rest of his life to the welfare of ex-servicemen via the Royal British Legion. He was made Earl Haig in 1919 and then Baron Haig of Bemersyde in 1921. Douglas Haig died in 1928...� For the full story from Spartacus Schoolnet, click on the name above.

~ Thomas Fielding Johnston ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in April 1925. At number 266, London Road ('Brookfield') there is a white-brick house built by the local worsted Manufacturer Thomas Fielding Johnson MA JP. At one time a training school for nurses, its gardens are still ablaze in June with the rhododendrons planted by Fielding Johnson all those years ago. The University College was established at Leicester as a memorial to the men of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland who had served in the First World War. In 1919 Mr. Thomas Fielding Johnson presented, as an endowment to the College, the site and the building which now bears his name to create a living memorial for those who gave their lives in the First World War. This is reflected in the University motto "Ut Vitam Habeant" - "so that they may have life." This building, originally the Leicestershire and Rutland Lunatic Asylum, of grey brick in the late Georgian style, dates from 1837. In 1907 it ceased to be used for its initial purpose, and during the First World War was commissioned as the 5th Northern General (Military) Hospital. A generation later in the Second World War it shared its accommodation with King's College of Household and Social Science (subsequently Queen Elizabeth's College, University of London), and for varying periods also with the BBC, Home Guard, Civil Defence Service, Fighting French Committee and British Council. The following is from the list of inscriptions on the thirteen bells of Leicester Cathedral (St Martins): "THE FIELDING JOHNSON BELL RECAST IN MEMORY OF THOMAS FIELDING JOHNSON MA, J.P. LAY CANON OF ST MARTINS AND HIS WIFE FLORENCE LYNE JOHNSON BY THEIR CHILDREN FLORENCE JULIA FIELDING EVERARD J.P. AGNES MIRIAM FIELDING JOHNSON, WILLIAM SPURRETT FIELDING JOHNSON MAY 12th 1937 PEACE TO THEM THAT ARE AFAR OFF AND TO THEM THAT ARE NIGH."� Footnote: I was born in Fielding Johnson's maternity home on the London Road in November 1944.

~ Arthur Isaac Groves ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in September 1926. Arthur Groves was very much concerned with the suffering and privation of the poor and physically handicapped. In the winter of 1894/95, being especially harsh, he gathered around him a group of people who, under his direction, visited people who were unable to get out for themselves. At the time the disabled poor where unable to obtain wheelchairs, which resulted in them being virtually imprisoned in their own homes. This was the beginnings what was to become the Leicester Guild of the Crippled. The first headquarters were in the Bishop Street Church School Room which was given to the Guild free of charge. For twelve years these premises were used by the guild for their monthly meetings and, in the summer, as the base for their outing which were organised by the Leicester Automobile Club, the members taking the handicapped on trips to such places as Hunstanton and the Derbyshire Dales. In 1907 under the Chairmanship of Sir Edward Wood, a drive was launched to raise funds for their own building. Such was the response that within two years, they were in their new hall, paid in full, on Colton Street (this hall is still used by the society). The area soon became a Mecca for the disabled with visitors to the town wondering why there were so many handicapped people in Leicester - the railway station being very near the centre, visitors often saw members coming and going as they left their trains. Within the first year of its existence, the Guild provided 200 wheelchairs or carriages to those in need. Mr Groves died in January 1928... From the book �Grave Matters� by Max Wade-Matthews. �

~ Greville Janner ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in October 1971. Greville Janner - Lord Janner of Braunstone QC - is Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust and a Vice President of World Jewish Congress. He has been at the forefront of the Nazi Asset Campaign, especially in Europe. He works with a team of parliamentary colleagues - from both the House of Commons, where he served for 27 years, and from the House of Lords, to which he was recently appointed. In the course of his work in the Nazi Asset Campaign, Lord Janner has made many visits to Switzerland, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, Spain. The Nazi Gold Conference, held in London in 1997, was his idea and initiative. It was hosted and organized by the British Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the British and Foreign Commonwealth Office and Government. Some 42 concerned nations were be represented. Lord Janner and his colleagues held a special status in the organization of that conference. Lord Janner was Labour Member of Parliament for the City of Leicester, for 27 years. He was Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment. He is a Queen's Counsel, with special expertise in employment matters. For nine years, he was on the Board of Ladbroke plc - parent company of (inter alia) Hilton International, and Chairman of his own very successful training company. He lectures on media and presentational skills and employment law. Greville Janner, who practiced at the Bar in Great Britain for over 20 years, is author of 62 books. He speaks nine languages. He was educated at Bishops College School, Canada; St. Paul's School, London; Trinity Hall Cambridge - where he was President of the Cambridge Union and Chairman of the Cambridge University Labour Club; and at Harvard Post Graduate Law School (Smith Mundt and Fullbright Scholar). He is a well known speaker and broadcaster. Greville Janner, who was born in 1928, was married in 1955. His wife, Myra, died last year. They have three children and six grandchildren. Apart from time with his family, his main recreation is magic - he is a member of the Magic Circle and of the International Brotherhood of Magicians... For the full story from Spartacus Schoolnet, click on the name above.

~ Sir Alec Jeffreys ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in November 1992. Professor Jeffreys, pioneered the technique of genetic fingerprinting - now used by police, medical research and immigration officials across the globe - from his research base at the University of Leicester. Jeffreys, gained a first-class degree in biochemistry from Oxford University in 1972, and his Ph.D., also from Oxford, in 1975. After working in Amsterdam with Flavell between 1975 and 1977, Jeffreys moved to the University of Leicester as a lecturer in genetics and became a full professor in 1987. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1986. From the University in Leicester, he continues still to decipher the mysteries of genetic inheritance. The name above is a link that will take you to "Leicestershire Past & Present," and an article, on the discovery of DNA fingerprinting, by Elizabeth Batt. For further information (in addition to the link above), follow this link --> [Link]

~ William Cosmo Gordon Lang ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in May 1935. Born October 1864, Fyvie Manse, Aberdeen; died. Decenber 1945, Kew Gardens, Surrey. Influential and versatile Anglican priest who, as archbishop of Canterbury, was a close friend and adviser to King George VI. He was also briefly suspected of having conspired to bring about the abdication in 1936 of King Edward VIII, who married the U.S. divorcee Wallis Simpson. Abruptly abandoning a legal career on the eve of his appointment to the bar, Lang enrolled at Cuddesdon Theological College. After an assistant curacy in a Leeds slum, he became dean of divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford (1893-96), and vicar of the university church (1894-96). He then served successively as vicar of Portsea, Hampshire; suffragan bishop of Stepney, London; and archbishop of York. He was archbishop of Canterbury from 1928 until his retirement in 1942, when George VI created him Baron Lang of Lambeth and granted him a home at Kew. Also a prominent member of the House of Lords, Lang was an ardent ecumenicist and was active in the ministry to slum and industrial areas. Public opinion later acquitted him of wrongdoing during the intrigue of 1936, when various officials of the British government sought the abdication of Edward VIII to prevent his romance with Wallis Simpson from dividing the country. Encyclopedia Britannica.�

~ Gary Winston Lineker ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in November 1992. Gary Lineker OBE, International football star, BBC sports commentator, BBC quiz show host. He played for the "City" between 1979 and 1985 and made his debut for his boyhood heroes on Jan. 1st 1979. He enjoyed a similar sporting reputation to the Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky ("Mr. Nice Guy") and was a credit to the sport of football - he was never booked. For more on Gary's career, go to the following link --> [link] Or, by clicking on the name above you can go to "Leicestershire Past & Present" for an article on Gary by Elizabeth Batt. Although eventually and justifiably regarded as one of the world's foremost strikers, Gary made a rather stumbling start to his first-team career with City, who initially struggled to harness the youngster's remarkable pace to a coherent tactical role. Indeed, Gary was quite often played wide in his early days, until his alert goal-poaching habit began truly to blossom during the 1981-82 season. There were still distinct gaps in his footballing repertoire when City fought their way back to Division One in 1983, but Gary gradually refined his ball-holding and control skills while leading the Filbert Street scoring list for four seasons running on quick-witted predatory instinct, and became an inevitable England choice up front despite City's lowly status in the top flight.

~ James Ramsay MacDonald ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in October 1929. James Ramsay MacDonald, the illegitimate son of Ann Ramsay, a maidservant, was born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, on 12th October, 1866. He was brought up in his grandmother's cottage and was a student at the local school from 1875 until 1881. An intelligent boy he became a pupil-teacher and at nineteen found work in Bristol.�In 1886 MacDonald moved to London where he was employed as a clerk for the Cyclists' Touring Club. In his spare-time he studied for a science scholarship but as a result of a near-starvation diet his health declined and was forced to abandon his idea of an academic career. After he recovered his health, MacDonald was employed as a clerk by Thomas Lough, a member of the House of Commons. MacDonald had a growing interest in politics and joined the Fabian Society where he met socialists such as George Bernard Shaw, Annie Besant, Walter Crane, Sidney Webb and Beatrice Webb. In 1893 a group of socialist including James Keir Hardie, Robert Smillie, Tom Mann, John Bruce Glasier, Ben Tillett, and Philip Snowden formed a new national working class party called the Independent Labour Party. MacDonald joined in 1894 and the following year was the ILP candidate for Southampton in the 1895 General Election. MacDonald, along with the other twenty-seven ILP candidates, was defeated and overall, the party won only 44,325 votes. The LRC did much better in the 1906 General Election with twenty nine successful candidates winning their seats. MacDonald became the MP for Leicester and other winners included James Keir Hardie (Merthyr Tydfil), Philip Snowden (Blackburn), Arthur Henderson (Barnard Castle), Will Thorne (West Ham) and Fred Jowett (Bradford). At a meeting on 12th February, 1906, the group of MPs decided to change from the LRC to the Labour Party. Hardie was elected chairman and MacDonald was selected to be the party's secretary. At first Hardie was leader of the party in the House of Commons, but was not very good with dealing with internal rivalries within the party, and in 1908 resigned from the post. Arthur Henderson became leader until 1910 when he was replaced by George Barnes. The following year, MacDonald was elected leader of the Labour Party group... For the full story from Spartacus Schoolnet, click on the name above.

~ Jonathan North ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in January 1919. Sir Jonathan North, born at Rothley in 1855, is a man to whom Leicester owes a lot. A boot and shoe manufacturer (one time chairman of Freemen, Hardy & Willis) he entered politics as a member of the Belgrave School Board. Subsequently he was elected a guardian of the poor, a post he held for nine years, two of which as chairman. A Liberal, he entered the Council in 1895, and, although not having a good formal education himself, (his grammar, so we are told, left something to be desired) he served 25 years as Chairman of the Education Committee and was responsible for many improvements in the town�s schools. It was in appreciation of this work that he was presented with an illuminated address on his retirement. He served as Mayor throughout World War I, receiving the honourary Freedom of the Borough in 1919. In that same year he received the ultimate accolade and was knighted by King George V in De Montfort Hall. It was Sir Jonathan who, in memory of his wife who died in 1930, presented the Victoria Park gates to the City. He lived at �Glebe Mount,� Glebe Road, and died there in 1939. Sir Jonathan North was buried in Welford Road Cemetery. This entry from the book �Grave Matters� by Leicester author Max Wade-Matthews.

~ James Went ~

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in April 1925. One of the most influential head teachers of the Wyggeston Boys' School was the Reverend James Went. Before coming to Leicester Went had been the Assistant Master at Bradford Grammar School, from which he came with excellent references. Went was well liked by the boys, many of whom used to return to the school to see their former master. Went was also a first class preacher and was often invited to take the pulpit at St Martins. Although he was said to have traced the history of schools in Leicester back to 1230 the results of his research are sadly lost. This entry courtesy of Max Wade-Matthews' CD: "A Virtual Stroll Through Leicester."

~ The Royal Anglian Regiment ~�

Awarded the "Honorary Freedom of the City" in January 1996. The Royal Anglian Regiment is the Regiment of ten counties of East Anglia and the East Midlands with a history going back to 1685. It was formed in 1964 from the regiments of the East Anglian Brigade, which themselves had been formed through a series of amalgamations of six former County Regiments between 1958-60. Amalgamations at this time had been: The Royal Norfolk Regiment with The Suffolk Regiment (the latter �including The Cambridgeshire Regiment); The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment with The Northamptonshire Regiment; and The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment with The Essex Regiment.� The East Anglian Brigade comprised the 1st, 2nd and 3rd East Anglian Regiments and, later, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment. On 1 September 1964 the four regiments of The East Anglian Brigade became the four battalions of The Royal Anglian Regiment, the first Large Regiment of Infantry to be formed in the British Army. At the same time the Territorial Army battalions of the former regiments were affiliated to the Regiment, that is: 4th Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment (TA); The Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Regiment (TA); 4th/6th Battalion The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment (TA); 1st Battalion The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA); 4th/5th Battalion The Essex Regiment (TA); 4th/5th Battalion The Royal Leicestershire Regiment (TA); 4th/5th Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment (TA). These Territorial Army battalions later formed The Royal Anglian Regiment's 5th (Volunteer) Battalion in 1967 and the 6th and 7th (Volunteer) Battalions in 1971. The four regular and three Territorial Army battalions were reduced to two regular battalions, the 1st and 2nd, and two Territorial Army battalions, the 6th and 7th (Volunteer) Battalions, by 1996.

Section Fifteen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Leicester Massachusetts ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~�

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Famous and interesting people from the 'other' Leicester - the one in Massachusetts, New England, USA.

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Located in Central Massachusetts and bordered by Paxton, Auburn and Worcester, Leicester is 46

miles west of Boston, 48 miles from Providence, Rhode Island, and 172 miles from New York�

City. The total area� of the town is about 25 square miles and the population is around�

10,200. Coincidently,� Leicester's chief industry was at one time textile-related.�

The Town of�Leicester's official website can be found at this link --> [Link].

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Click on the name for additional information

~ Ruth Henshaw Bascom ~

Ruth Henshaw Bascombe was born in Leicester, Massachusetts on December 15, 1772 and spent most of her life in central New England close to her extended family. She married Mr. Bascom, a minister, who had children from a previous marriage that had ended when his wife died. Although Ruth never had children of her own, she helped raise her stepchildren lovingly. For most of her life, Bascom kept a diary in which she recorded everyday events, comings and goings of friends and family members, and lists of people whose portraits she painted. The diary, which spans several volume, lists about 1400 portraits, approximately two hundred of which still exist today. The diary reveals a lot about what it was like to live in New England during the early industrial revolution. It also provides valuable information to those interested in women�s studies. Bascom painted portraits of friends and family to supplement her income or as �barter� for household necessities. Contrary to the opinions of some historians, Bascom was not an itinerant painter. She died February, 16 1848. Artistic Style: Bascom used pencil and pastels to paint profiles that were life-size or slightly larger. She occasionally experimented with cutouts and decoupage. She usually included the shoulders and upper torso of her sitter in the profile. She paid particular attention to details of the sitter�s eye, mouth, and hair. She also took special care when drawing women�s lace bonnets, collars, and jewelry if her sitter posed while wearing any... From� Jessica Nicoll's Biographical Summary in Meet Your Neighbors

~ Charles DeMorse ~

(1816-1887). Known as the "Father of Texas Journalism," DeMorse founded The Northern Standard, participated in the Civil War, and was the first president of the Texas Press and Editorial Association. His former (and unrestored) home is in Clarksville, Texas and is available for drive-by viewing, one block north of the town square. Clarksville is located in Red River County (of which it is the county seat) northeast of Dallas between Paris and New Boston along US Highway 82 near the Red River and the Texas/Oklahoma state line. Charles DeMorse - born Charles Denny Morse - editor, publisher, statesman, soldier, public official, lawyer, merchant, and farmer, was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, on January 31, 1816, the son of Aaron and Mary (Denny) Morse. He received a good academic education in New Haven and New York City and later studied law. In the autumn of 1835 he joined Maj. Edwin Morehouse's volunteers to aid Texas. En route to Texas he was detained by the British at Nassau, and while there his name (Charles D. Morse) through error was enrolled as Charles DeMorse. He adopted the change, which was later approved by the Sixth Texas Congress. Upon his arrival in Texas, DeMorse accepted a commission in the Texas Navy but resigned in July 1836 to become a major in the army, where he received military training under Albert Sidney Johnston. When the army was disbanded in 1837 DeMorse entered law practice at Matagorda. In 1838 he married Lodiska C. Wooldridge; to them were born five children. DeMorse was stock commissioner, charged with refunding the public debt, under President Mirabeau B. Lamar, and at the same time he was reporter for the Texas House of Representatives. He founded the Clarksville Northern Standard in 1842 and continued as its publisher and editor until his death.�

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In 1862 he organized and became colonel of the Twenty-ninth Texas Cavalry, which saw service in Indian Territory and Arkansas. It bore the brunt of the fight at Elk Creek or Honey Springs in 1863. DeMorse was the commanding officer of the force at Poison Springs, near Camden, Arkansas, where an attempted federal advance into Texas from Little Rock was stopped. Although not particularly ambitious for public office, DeMorse served in 1842 as first mayor of Clarksville and was congressman-elect at the time of annexation. He helped in the organization of the Democratic party in Texas and advocated its principles so strongly that he was proclaimed the "Father of the Texas Democratic Press." He took a lead in attempting to get Texas to accept the results of the Civil War and later worked to eliminate Radical Republican control of the state. He served as a delegate to the state and national Democratic conventions in 1872 and supported the Liberal Republicans as a temporary expedient. He was second to Richard Coke in the nomination for governor in 1873; in 1886, against his wishes, he was again put forward as a candidate for that office. DeMorse was an active member of the Grange, helped organize the Texas Veterans Association in 1873, and in 1874 was named one of the directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University). He was one of the most influential framers of the Constitution of 1876, particularly of the judicial article. He spent his last years largely in championing the cause of the "nester." In 1873 the Texas Press and Editorial Association elected him president, and he has been called the "Father of Texas Journalism." DeMorse died on October 25, 1887... From (in part) The Handbook of Texas Online, Demorse, Charles (1816-1887) by Ernest Wallace.

~ David Henshaw ~

David Henshaw (1751-1852) was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, on 2 April 1791. Trained as a druggist, he achieved notable success in that field, then expanded his energies into banking, transportation and politics. He was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1826 and served as Collector of the Port of Boston from the late 1820s until 1838. Though he suffered business reverses during the later 1830s, Henshaw regained his political position as a leader of the Massachusetts Democratic Party within a few years. In July 1843, President John Tyler selected David Henshaw to succeed Abel P. Upshur as Secretary of the Navy. During his brief term in office, he addressed shipbuilding problems, selected senior officers for important seagoing commands, revised supply arrangements in the Navy Yards and attempted to establish a school for Midshipmen. His recess appointment as Secretary failed to receive Congressional confirmation, requiring that he leave office when Thomas W. Gilmer was confirmed to succeed him in 1844. David Henshaw then returned to Massachusetts politics. He died on 11 November 1852. The USS Henshaw (DD-278), 1919-1930, was named in honor of Secretary of the Navy Henshaw...�

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In 1843, when David Henshaw was still Secretary of the Navy, the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") was deemed unseaworthy. Moored in Norfolk, she served as a receiving ship, no more than a floating barracks. Naval Constructor Foster Rhodes estimated it would cost $70,000 to make her fit to sail. He thought a renovation of her timbers was necessary. Navy Secretary Henshaw faced a dilemma. His budget did not contain funds to cover the recommended repairs. But he could not let the nation's favorite ship rot. Henshaw, from Massachusetts, turned to his home state for help. Meanwhile Captain John "Mad Jack" Percival was at the Boston Navy Yard renovating the ship of the line the "Franklin." In addition to his reputation for seamanship, "Mad Jack" was known for his Yankee frugality. David Henshaw directed Percival to Virginia to look things over. Upon inspection, Percival said he could make the old ship seaworthy at a cost of only $10,000. In a month, and within budget, Percival had the ship ready and he sailed "Old Ironsides" around the world - his crowning achievement. The Constitution departed at the end of May, 1944 and the cruise went on to make history: a confrontation with the king of Cochin China represented America's first armed intervention in present day Vietnam. The ship returned to Boston in the end of September 1846. She had been at sea for 495 days, covering 52,370 miles. Meanwhile, David Henshaw had ceased to be the Secretary of the Navy, ending his career in that position in February of 1844...�

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Quote: Regarding the US Supreme Court's attack on State Sovereignty, In 1819, when the Supreme Court ruled that New Hampshire could not revoke a corporate charter granted to Dartmouth College before the Revolution, David Henshaw said:� "Sure I am that, if the American people acquiesce in the principles laid down in this case, the Supreme Court will have effected what the whole power of the British Empire, after eight years of bloody conflict, failed to achieve against our fathers."�

~ Peter Salem ~

Peter Salem was a former black slave who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. The battle, actually fought at nearby Breed's Hill, was one of the first military conflicts of the Revolutionary War in America. It was fought on June 17, 1775, near Boston. In the battle, British forces attacked colonial troops who were defending Breed's Hill. According to one story, the colonial troops were near defeat, and British Major John Pitcairn ordered them to surrender. Salem then stepped forward and shot Pitcairn. The British were temporarily stunned, and the Americans were able to retreat. Pitcairn later died of the wound. Salem was born a slave in Framingham, Massachusetts. His original owner was Jeremiah Belknap. Belknap sold him to Lawson Buckminister of Framingham. Buckminister allowed Salem to enlist in the colonial army. In exchange for enlisting in the army, Salem received his freedom. After the Battle of Bunker Hill, Salem remained in the army for several years, long enough to fight in the bloody battles of Saratoga and Stony Point. After the war he settled in Leicester, Massachusetts where he barely earned a living weaving cane seats for chairs. He died in the poor house in Framingham in 1816. Almost seventy years later citizens of the town erected a monument to mark Peter Salem's memory."

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From his book, Black Heroes of The American Revolution, Burke Davis tells the story. "When a British column reached Lexington where they planned to seize powder and weapons stored by the patriots, the Redcoats were faced by a small band of Americans drawn up on the village green. Major John Pitcairn, the British commander, ordered the rebels to scatter and go to their homes and opened fire when they refused. Among those who returned fire against Pitcairn's men was Peter Salem, a slave who marched in from the nearby town of Framingham as a Private in the company of Captain Simon Edgel. Salem was armed with a flintlock musket like most of the other patriot soldiers on the green, and he fired and loaded through the brief fight, until Major Pitcairn called for a retreat and the British marched back toward their base in Boston. At Bunker Hill Major Pitcairn met Peter Salem once again. The meeting cost the officer his life. Salem took aim at Major Pitcairn as he was rallying the British troops and shot him through the head. The major fell dead just as he was shouting to his men; 'the day is ours'. Soon afterward white soldiers of the New England army raised money to reward Peter Salem for his bravery and the black hero was presented to General Washington as the man who had killed Pitcairn.�

Section Sixteen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Really Not Very Famous At All ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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Mostly Just for fun, this section contains either the decidedly unfamous, or those�

whose connection with Leicester is more than a little tenuous.

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Click on the name for additional information

~ Me Mum~

Stella Beatrice Airey - Leicester resident since before the war (WWII - the big one). Britain's first Glamorous Grandmother (Circa 1954). Born in India at the Station Hospital, Command 1st Battalion, The Scots Guards, Allahabad, on October 8, 1911. Stella moved to Scotland from India at about the age of four. Not long after that, her father retired from the service and the family moved to� Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast; a place that was to become our families home from home with many blessed memories.� During the war, Stella once shared a railway carriage with a suave and sinister ex-RAF pilot, later revealed as the notorious killer "Neville Heath." Link --> [link]. This was during a train journey from Norfolk; one with several unscheduled stops due to damage and/or air raids. Neville Heath had just been cashiered from the service. In her mid forties, with a new-born in tow (my sister Sally) Stella entered a competition - just for fun - at Butlin's in 'Skeggy.' She beat the competition easily in this preliminary round and then went on to beat all the other grannies in the finals at the Butlin's Hotel in Brighton (or was it Hove). In the fifties and sixties, Stella became a cosmetics consultant and worked with Helena Rubenstein on more than one occasion. As a beautician, she worked in Leicester for Timothy Whites & Taylors and for Lewis's. For the last five years of her life, Stella� resided in a nursing home in Placerville, California, USA. She had lived in nearby Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border for the best part of 30 years and at one time had her own business there. Stella recently past away on January 6th, 2001 after complications from a flu virus. Her ashes will be scattered over her beloved Lake Tahoe. Mum was 89 years old. For photos of the glamour days, just click on the name above.

~ Me Dad~

George Reginald (Reg) Airey, born Grace Road, Aylestone Park, Leicester in 1902.� Motorcycle (grass track) racer and champion of the East Midlands (1928-29 season).� George and his brother Arthur ('Pip') were both once managers at Dunlops - St Mary's Mills. Their father, George Alfred Airey, was Managing Director there for a while. Sometime before WWII, Reg started his own haulage business (Associated Services) and it was commandeered by the Government to transport parts for MTBs during the last war. Reg benefited greatly from his generous business-related petrol allowance during that period (now I didn't say black market did I?). Reg was a staunch conservative an lectured me from an early age regarding the evils of socialism. Considering that the Labour Government at one time tried to nationalize his small business, I can't really blame him for his political position. For a photo of Dad on his Chater Lea motorcycle, for one of his old racing posters, and for some old family photos - follow the link (name above).�

�~ Me~

Fifteen minutes of fame in the Leicester pop group "The Foursights" (1963-65) with Bill Coleman, Doug Abbott and David Lyndsey (all from Glen Hills). Highlights: record for EMI on the Columbia label; live radio performance with Bobby Vee, Gene Pitney and Jess Conrad; opening for the Kinks at the Leicester Corn Exchange; access to The Beatles' "demos" before the finished records were available to the general public.� Follow the links starting with 'Me' (me, me, me, it's all about me isn't it?) above for photos and more information.

~ Paul Leicester Ford ~�

Paul Leicester Ford (1865-1902) was the consummate bookman of the late nineteenth century. During his brief life, he successfully contributed to the world of letters through printing, bibliography, editing, scholarship, and fiction. American historian and novelist, he was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1865. His father, Gordon Leicester Ford, then possessed probably the best library of Americana in the country; Paul edited, with his brother Worthington Chauncey Ford, rare material from this library in Winnowings in American History (15 vol., 1890�91) and made valuable bibliographies, including ones on Hamilton (1886) and Franklin (1889). He was the editor of many documents of the early Republic. His True George Washington (1896, repr. 1970) was the first to present Washington as human and fallible. Ford also wrote several novels.... For a more on PLF, just click on the name above.

~ Leicester Hemingway ~

Younger brother of the author Ernest Hemingway. How's that for a tenuous connection with Leicester - I must be getting desperate. This one's a suitable footnote for the Who's Who section of Leicester Overseas, since although a lot of the above people have a genuine connection with Leicester, for a few of them, I must admit, the connection is pretty vague.

Section Seventeen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Featured Leicester Personality ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My featured Leicester personality - since we were at school together - is Sue Townsend. Although we were at school together, I don't think she really remembers me;�truth is, I don't really remember her either (and I've certainly tried). Even so, we honestly were both at Glen Hills at the same time and just two years apart.� Sue wrote an article for the - I believe - 50th anniversary of Glen Hills Primary School, and it is presented in full following a brief write-up about the author. In the article, she tells of her early days living in Glen Hills and her experiences at the Infants School. Follow this link to find out more about Sue Townsend --> [link].

[Return to Index Page]

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Section 14: [Honourary Freedom]�Section 15 [Leicester, Massachusetts]

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Section 16: [Really Not Very Famous At All]� Section 13: [Featured Personality]

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