{{Short description|British politician (1901–1991)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} {{infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Right Honourable | name = Sir Godfrey Nicholson, Bt | honorific_suffix = | office = Member of Parliament for Farnham | term_start = 1937 | term_end = 1966 | predecessor = Sir Arthur Samuel | successor = Maurice Macmillan | office1 = Member of Parliament for Morpeth | term_start1 = 1931 | term_end1 = 1935 | predecessor1 = Ebby Edwards | successor1 = Robert Taylor | birth_date = {{birth date|1901|12|09|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1991|07|14|1901|12|09|df=yes}} | death_place = | education = Winchester College | alma_mater = Christ Church, Oxford | party = Conservative | parents = Richard Francis Harrison<br>Helen Violet Portal | spouse = {{marriage|Lady Katharine Lindsay<br>|30 June 1936|1972|reason=died}} | children = 4 | relations = William Nicholson (grandfather)<br>William Graham Nicholson (uncle)<br>John Sanctuary Nicholson (uncle) }} '''Sir Godfrey Nicholson, 1st Baronet''' (9 December 1901 – 14 July 1991)<ref>{{Rayment-hc|m|2|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP).
==Early life == Nicholson was born on 9 December 1901. he was a younger son of Richard Francis Harrison (1865–1940) and Helen Violet ({{nee}} Portal) Nicholson (1867–1927). Through his father, he was a member of the family which founded London-based gin distillers J&W Nicholson & Co.<ref name="Mosley2003"/>
His paternal grandparents were William Nicholson and the former Isabella Sarah Meek. Among his paternal family were uncles, William Graham Nicholson and John Sanctuary Nicholson.<ref name="Mosley2003"/> His maternal grandparents were Helen Mary Charlotte ({{nee}} Soulsby) Portal and Rev. George Raymond Portal (a brother of Sir Wyndham Portal, 1st Baronet), the President of the Oxford Union who served as rector of Albury, Surrey and of Burghclere.<ref>''Burke's Peerage 2003'', p. 3177</ref><ref>"Portal, George Raymond", ''Alumni Oxonienses'', p. 1132</ref>
He was educated at Winchester College and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford in 1925.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}
==Career== In 1931, he contested and won Morpeth and held the seat until 1935. Two years later, he contested and won Farnham in a by-election and on the outbreak of World War II in 1939, he served with The Royal Fusiliers until 1942. He was subsequently a captain in the Home Guard and as MP criticized that an issue of pikes to the Home Guard made during a shortage of rifles "if not meant as a joke, was an insult".<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1942/mar/11/army-supplementary-estimate-1941 Hansard: Army Supplementary Estimate, 1941, House of Commons Debate, 11 March 1942]</ref><ref>These weapons became known as "Croft's pikes" after the Under Secretary of War (Lord Croft) who defended their issue.</ref>
On 20 March 1958, Nicholson was made a baronet<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41342 |date=21 March 1958 |page=1844}}</ref> and retired from politics in 1966.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}
==Personal life== On 30 June 1936, he had married Lady Katharine Lindsay (1912–1972), a younger daughter of David Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford, and the former Constance Lilian Pelly (a daughter of Sir Henry Pelly, 3rd Baronet). Together, they had four daughters:<ref name="Mosley2003"/>
* Rose Helen Nicholson (b. 1937), who married Richard Luce, Baron Luce, a son of Margaret (née Napier) and Sir William Luce.<ref name="Mosley2003"/> * Laura Violet Nicholson (1939–2021), who married Sir John Montgomery-Cuninghame, 12th Baronet, the youngest son of Sir Thomas Montgomery-Cuninghame, 10th Baronet and, his second wife, Nancy Macaulay Foggo, in 1964.<ref name="Mosley2003"/> * Emma Harriet Nicholson (b. 1941), who married Sir Michael Harris Caine, in 1987.<ref name="Mosley2003"/> * Harriet Mary Nicholson (b. 1946), who married Charles Hugh Flower (a maternal great-great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Abercorn).<ref name="Mosley2003"/>
Sir Godfrey was a favourite at the London Gliding Club where they appreciated his passing of favourable laws regarding gliding.
As Nicholson had no sons from his marriage, his title became extinct upon his death in 1991.<ref name="Mosley2003">Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.'' Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, vol. 1, p. 995.</ref>
==Arms== {{Infobox COA wide |image = Nicholson (of Winterbourne) Achievement.png |escutcheon = Per pale Azure and Gules two bars gemel Ermine in chief three suns in splendour Or. |crest = Out of an antique crown Gules a lion's head Ermine gorged with a collar gemel Azure. |motto = Sol Et Scutum Deus<ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage |date=1985 |page=644}}</ref>}}
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == *{{Hansard-contribs | sir-godfrey-nicholson | Sir Godfrey Nicholson }} *[https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_N01.html#Nicholson_G British Army Officers 1939−1945] *[https://discovery-cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F53972 Nicholson, Sir Godfrey, (1901-1991), 1st Baronet, politician] at the National Archives (United Kingdom)
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Morpeth | before = Ebby Edwards | after = Robert Taylor | years = 1931–1935 }} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Farnham | before = Sir Arthur Samuel | after = Maurice Macmillan | years = 1937–1966 }} {{s-reg|uk-bt}} {{s-new|creation }} {{s-ttl | title = Baronet<br />'''(of Winterbourne)''' | years = 1958–1991 }} {{s-non | reason = Extinct }} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Godfrey}} Category:1901 births Category:1991 deaths Category:People educated at Winchester College Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Royal Fusiliers officers Category:UK MPs 1931–1935 Category:UK MPs 1935–1945 Category:UK MPs 1945–1950 Category:UK MPs 1950–1951 Category:UK MPs 1951–1955 Category:UK MPs 1955–1959 Category:UK MPs 1959–1964 Category:UK MPs 1964–1966 Category:British Home Guard officers Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Morpeth