# Raymond Gower

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{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix= [Sir](/source/Sir)
| name            = Raymond Gower
| image           = Raymond Gower in 1953.jpg
| caption         = Gower in 1953
| alt             = 
| office              = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom))
| constituency         = [Barry](/source/Barry_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) (1951–1983)<br>[Vale of Glamorgan](/source/Vale_of_Glamorgan_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) (1983–1989)
| term_start  = 25 October 1951
| term_end    = 22 February 1989
| predecessor = [Dorothy Rees](/source/Dorothy_Rees)
| successor   = [John Smith](/source/John_Smith_(Welsh_politician))
| party           = [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK))
| birth_name      = Herbert Raymond Gower
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1916|08|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place     = [Neath](/source/Neath), Wales
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1989|02|22|1916|08|15|df=yes}}
| death_place     = [Sully](/source/Sully%2C_Vale_of_Glamorgan), Wales
| education       = [Cardiff School of Law](/source/Cardiff_School_of_Law_and_Politics)
| spouse          = {{marriage|Cynthia Hobbs|1973}}
| children        = 
}}
'''Sir Herbert Raymond Gower''', [FInstD](/source/Institute_of_Directors) (15 August 1916 &ndash; 22 February 1989) was a British [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for over 37 years, representing seats in Glamorgan from 1951 to his death in 1989. He was also a journalist and broadcaster.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Gower, Sir (Herbert) Raymond, (15 Aug. 1916–22 Feb. 1989), MP (C) Vale of Glamorgan, since 1983 (Barry Division of Glamorganshire, 1951–83); journalist and broadcaster|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-164675|access-date=2021-04-16|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2007 |language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u164675|isbn=978-0-19-954089-1 }}</ref>

==Early life and career==
Born in [Neath](/source/Neath) on 15 August 1916, Gower was the son of the late Lawford R. Gower, [FRIBA](/source/FRIBA), [County Architect](/source/County_architect) for Glamorgan, and Mrs Gower. He was educated at [Cardiff](/source/Cardiff) High School and [Cardiff School of Law](/source/Cardiff_School_of_Law_and_Politics) at [University of Wales, Cardiff](/source/Cardiff_University).<ref name=":0" />

Gower was admitted as a solicitor in 1944. He practised in Cardiff from 1948 to 1963 and was a Partner at S. R. Freed & Co., Harewood Place, W1, London, from 1964 onwards. He was also Political Columnist at the [''Western Mail''](/source/Western_Mail_(Wales)) for Cardiff from 1951 to 1964.<ref name=":0" />

==Parliamentary career==
He first stood for Parliament at the [1950 general election](/source/1950_United_Kingdom_general_election), contesting the [safe](/source/Safe_seat) [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) seat of [Ogmore](/source/Ogmore_(UK_Parliament_constituency)), where he was beaten by [Walter Padley](/source/Walter_Padley).<ref name=":0" />

Gower was elected as the MP for [Barry](/source/Barry_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in South Wales at the next general election in [1951](/source/1951_United_Kingdom_general_election). He was [Parliamentary Private Secretary](/source/Parliamentary_Private_Secretary) to [Gurney Braithwaite](/source/Gurney_Braithwaite) (1951–54), [Reginald Maudling](/source/Reginald_Maudling) (1951–52) [John Profumo](/source/John_Profumo) (1952–57), [Hugh Molson](/source/Hugh_Molson%2C_Baron_Molson) (1954–57), the [Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation](/source/Minister_of_Transport_and_Civil_Aviation), and to the [Minister of Works](/source/Ministry_of_Works_(United_Kingdom)) (1957–60). Gower was also a member of the Speaker's Conference on Electoral Law from 1967 to 1969 and 1971 to 1974. He was a member of the Select Committee on Expenditure (1970–73) and the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs (1979–83). In 1966, he became Treasurer of the Welsh Parliamentary Party, subsequently being Chairman of the Welsh Conservative Members from 1970 to 1974, and again from 1979.<ref name=":0" />

Boundary changes saw most of the seat transferred to the [Vale of Glamorgan](/source/Vale_of_Glamorgan_(UK_Parliament_constituency)), which Gower represented from its creation for the [1983 general election](/source/1983_United_Kingdom_general_election). He remained a member of the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) until he died in office in [South Glamorgan](/source/South_Glamorgan) in 1989, aged 72.

== Outside Parliament ==
Gower was joint Founder and Director of the first Welsh Unit Trust. In 1951, he became a Governor of University College, Cardiff. He was made a Member of the Court of Governors at the [National Library of Wales](/source/National_Library_of_Wales) that year, subsequently taking up that role at the [National Museum of Wales](/source/National_Museum_of_Wales) (in 1952) and [University College, Aberystwyth](/source/University_College%2C_Aberystwyth) (in 1953). He was Vice-President at the National Chamber of Trade (1956–); Cardiff Business Club (1952) and South Wales Ramblers (1958–).<ref name=":0" />

He was also Secretary of the Friends of Wales Society (Cultural), a member of the Welsh Advisory Council for Civil Aviation (1959–62). Gower was President of the Wales Area Conservative Teachers' Association (1962–) and the Glamorgan (London) Society (1967–69).<ref name=":0" />

== Honours ==
In 1958, he became a Fellow of the [Institute of Directors](/source/Institute_of_Directors), and was awarded a [knighthood](/source/Knight_Bachelor) in the [1974 New Years Honours List](/source/1974_New_Year_Honours).<ref name=":0" /> He received the [Freedom of the Borough](/source/Freedom_of_the_City) of the [Vale of Glamorgan](/source/Vale_of_Glamorgan) on 13 April 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Freedom and Freedom of Entry  |url=https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/our_council/Council-Structure/The-Mayor/Honorary-Freedom.aspx |website=Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council |access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref>

== Personal life and death ==
In 1973, Gower married Cynthia, the daughter of Mr and Mrs James Hobbs. His recreations were tennis, squash rackets and travelling in Italy. Gower was a member of the [Carlton](/source/Carlton_Club) and [Royal Over-Seas League](/source/Royal_Over-Seas_League) clubs. He lived in [Sully](/source/Sully%2C_Vale_of_Glamorgan), South Glamorgan.<ref name=":0" />

On 22 February 1989, he suffered a fatal heart attack at his home following a day on the campaign trail for the [Pontypridd by-election](/source/1989_Pontypridd_by-election), which took place the next day.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/1186144673/|title = Testing time as leaders eye polls|date = 23 February 1989|page = 1|last = Foster|first = Jack|newspaper = [Yorkshire Evening Press](/source/Yorkshire_Evening_Press)|via = [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)|accessdate = 13 June 2025|url-access = subscription}}</ref> The [consequent by-election](/source/1989_Vale_of_Glamorgan_by-election) in Gower's seat was won by Labour's [John Smith](/source/John_Smith_(Welsh_politician)) (not to be confused with [the party leader of the same name](/source/John_Smith_(Labour_Party_leader))).<ref name=":0" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'', [Times Newspapers Ltd](/source/The_Times), 1966, 1987 & 1992
*{{Rayment|date=February 2012}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef | before = [Dorothy Rees](/source/Dorothy_Rees) }}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Barry](/source/Barry_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
  | years  = [1951](/source/1951_United_Kingdom_general_election)&ndash;[1983](/source/1983_United_Kingdom_general_election)
}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}

{{s-new | constituency}}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Vale of Glamorgan](/source/Vale_of_Glamorgan_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
  | years  = [1983](/source/1983_United_Kingdom_general_election)&ndash;[1989](/source/1989_Vale_of_Glamorgan_by-election)
}}
{{s-aft | after = [John Smith](/source/John_Smith_(Welsh_politician)) }}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gower, Raymond}}
Category:1916 births
Category:1989 deaths
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
Category:Knights Bachelor
Category:UK MPs 1951–1955
Category:UK MPs 1955–1959
Category:UK MPs 1959–1964
Category:UK MPs 1964–1966
Category:UK MPs 1966–1970
Category:UK MPs 1970–1974
Category:UK MPs 1974
Category:UK MPs 1974–1979
Category:UK MPs 1979–1983
Category:UK MPs 1983–1987
Category:UK MPs 1987–1992
Category:Alumni of Cardiff University
Category:Politics of the Vale of Glamorgan
Category:Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Raymond Gower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Gower) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Gower?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.