Robert Grant-Ferris, Baron Harvington

Robert Grant Grant-Ferris, Baron Harvington, AE PC (30 December 1907 – 1 January 1997) was a British Conservative Party politician and RAF officer.

Harvington near Chaddesley Corbett: St Mary's Catholic Church, grave of Lord Harvington and his mother in the churchyard. The roof of Harvington Hall is visible in the background.

Born Robert Grant Ferris, he was educated at Douai School and served in the RAF during the War, receiving the Air Efficiency Award in 1942. He was the son of Mrs Ellen Ryan Ferris (1870–1955), who is known to have purchased and given Harvington Hall to the Archdiocese of Birmingham in 1923.^[1]

In 1930, he married Florence Brennan de Vine (d. 30 December 1996), with whom he had a daughter and a son.^[2] He was Member of Parliament (MP) for St Pancras North from 1937 to 1945, and for Nantwich from 1955 until his retirement at the February 1974 general election. He served as Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker from 1970 to 1974. Ferris's maiden speech to Parliament was in March 1937, in a debate on the Air Ministry estimates, in which he spoke as a member of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.^[3]

Grant-Ferris was a staunch supporter of fellow devout Roman Catholic Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War.^[4] His son Fr Piers Grant-Ferris (b. April 9, 1933)^{[citation needed]} pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to indecently assaulting 15 boys while teaching at Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire, the preparatory school for nearby Ampleforth College, between 1966 and 1975.^[5] He changed his name from Ferris to Grant-Ferris by deed poll in August 1942.^[6]

Robert Grant-Ferris was knighted in 1969,^[7] and sworn to the Privy Council in 1971.^[8] On 24 June 1974 he was given a life peerage as Baron Harvington, of Nantwich in Cheshire.^[9] He died on New Years Day 1997, two days after his 89th birthday.

Coat of arms of Robert Grant-Ferris, Baron Harvington

Crest A Comb fesswise Argent between two Hazel Branches fruited proper Escutcheon Gules three Antique Crowns Or within an Orle of eight Horseshoes Argent [10] Supporters Dexter: a Knight Grand Cross of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign and Military Order of Malta in Choir Dress proper; Sinister: a representation of a Pilot of the Royal Air Force in Service Dress circa 1942 also proper about his neck a Scarf Gules spotted Argent Motto I Never Give Up

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

1. "Harvington Hall - Our Story". Retrieved 1 September 2021.
2. "Obituary". The Independent. 4 January 1997. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
3. "SIR PHILIP SASSOON'S STATEMENT". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 15 March 1937.
4. Patrick Cosgrave (4 January 1997), "Harvington's obituary", The Independent
5. The Catholic Herald, 25 November 2005
6. "No. 35689". The London Gazette. 1 September 1942. p. 3846.
7. "No. 44894". The London Gazette. 11 July 1969. p. 7213.
8. "No. 45384". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1971. p. 5957.
9. "No. 46334". The London Gazette. 28 June 1974. p. 7420.
10. "Life Peerages - H".

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Ian Fraser	Member of Parliament for St Pancras North 1937–1945	Succeeded by George House
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Nantwich 1955–February 1974	Succeeded by John Cockcroft