{{short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} [[File:George Thomas Kenyon, Vanity Fair, 1888-12-29.jpg|thumb|"Denbigh Boroughs". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1888.]] '''George Thomas Kenyon''' (28 December 1840 – 26 January 1908)<ref name="rayment">{{Rayment-hc|d|1|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a British Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1885 and 1906.
Kenyon was born in London, the second son of Lloyd Kenyon, 3rd Baron Kenyon and his wife Hon. Georgina de Grey, daughter of Thomas de Grey, 4th Baron Walsingham. He was educated at Harrow School and at Christ Church, Oxford,<ref name=Debrett>[https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1886londuoft#page/88/mode/2up Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1886]</ref> where he graduated as Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1864 and Master (MA) in 1870.<ref name=odnb>{{cite book|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 31|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=343|isbn=0-19-861381-4}}Article by J.E. Lloyd, revised by H.C.G. Matthew.</ref> He was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1869.<ref name=Debrett/>
He entered the North Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry as a cornet in 1865,<ref>{{cite book|last=Gladstone|first=E.W.|title=The Shropshire Yeomanry 1795-1945, The Story of a Volunteer Cavalry Regiment|year=1953|publisher=The Whitethorn Press|page=97}}</ref> was lieutenant when the regiment amalgamated in the unified Shropshire Yeomanry regiment in 1872,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Shropshire Yeomanry 1795-1945|page=101}}</ref> was promoted captain in 1873,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Shropshire Yeomanry 1795-1945|page=104}}</ref> and resigned in 1879.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Shropshire Yeomanry 1795-1945|page=107}}</ref>
He was a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for Flintshire and a J.P. for Shropshire. He was guardian to his nephew, Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron Kenyon who inherited the title at the age of five,<ref name=Debrett/> of whom throughout his lifetime George was also heir-presumptive, his nephew then being unmarried.<ref name=shrewchron>{{cite news|title=Death of Mr. G.T. Kenyon|work=Shrewsbury Chronicle|date=31 January 1908|page=8}}</ref>
At the 1874 and 1880 general elections, Kenyon stood unsuccessfully for the Denbigh Boroughs.<ref name="craig1832-1885">{{Cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |authorlink= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 |orig-date=1977 |edition= 2nd |year=1989 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-26-4 |page=504 }}</ref> He was elected Member of Parliament for Denbigh at the 1885 general election <ref name="craig1885-1918">{{Cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |authorlink= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 |orig-date=1974 |edition= 2nd |year=1989 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-27-2 |page=456 }}</ref> and held the seat until he stood down in 1895.<ref name="craig1885-1918" /> He unsuccessfully stood at a by-election for East Denbighshire in 1897, losing mainly through his unpopular protectionist views.<ref name=odnb/> He was elected again for Denbigh Boroughs in 1900 and held the seat until he was defeated in 1906.<ref name="rayment" /><ref name="craig1885-1918" /> In August 1907 he announced his intention not to stand for parliament again.<ref name=shrewchron/>
His main interests were in promoting secondary and further education in Wales. He promoted the passing of the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889, and was a founder of the University of Wales, which he served as Junior Deputy Chancellor in 1898–1900. He was founder Chairman of the Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway company from 1891 until his death.<ref name=odnb/>
Kenyon played cricket as a wicket keeper, playing in county matches for Cheshire, Denbighshire, and Shropshire while playing at club level for Hanmer.<ref>{{cite book|last=Percival|first=Tony|title=Shropshire Cricketers 1844-1998|year=1999|publisher=A.C.S. Publications, Nottingham|pages=18, 46|isbn=1-902171-17-9}}Published under Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians.</ref>
Kenyon married Florence Anna Leche in 1875.<ref name=Debrett/>
Kenyon lived at Llanerch-Panna, Penley, Flintshire, where he died at the age of 67 after failure to fully recover from a recent accident. He was buried on 30 January 1908 at nearby Hanmer churchyard.<ref name=shrewchron/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Internet Archive author |sname=George Thomas Kenyon |sopt=t}} *{{Hansard-contribs | hon-george-kenyon | George Kenyon }}
{{S-start}} {{S-par|uk}} {{Succession box | title=Member of Parliament for Denbigh Boroughs | before=Sir Robert Cunliffe, 5th Baronet | after=William Tudor Howell | years= 1885–1895 }} {{Succession box| title=Member of Parliament for Denbigh Boroughs | before = William Tudor Howell | after = Clement Edwards | years = 1900–1906}} {{S-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenyon, George Thomas}} Category:1840 births Category:1908 deaths Category:People educated at Harrow School Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies Category:UK MPs 1885–1886 Category:UK MPs 1886–1892 Category:UK MPs 1892–1895 Category:UK MPs 1900–1906 Category:Shropshire Yeomanry officers Category:Younger sons of barons