Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn

Major Ralph George Campbell Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn, MC, DL (3 March 1884 – 1 May 1960), known as Sir Ralph Glyn, Bt, from 1934 to 1953, was a soldier and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1918 to 1922, and from 1924 to 1953.

Glyn was born on 3 March 1884 to Edward Glyn, Bishop of Peterborough and Lady Emma Mary, daughter of George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll. His father was the younger son of George Glyn, 1st Baron Wolverton. He was educated at Wixenford, Harrow, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military service

Glyn fought in the First World War, during which he was mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Military Cross.

Political career

At the 1918 general election, Glyn was elected as Unionist MP for the Scottish constituency of Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire. However he lost the seat at the 1922 general election, coming third with 28% of the votes. The following year, at the 1923 general election, Glyn stood in theConservative-held seat of Abingdon, where the MP Arthur Loyd was not standing again. Lloyd's majority in 1922 had been only 640 votes, and Glyn lost by 254 votes (1.2% of the total) to the Liberal candidate Edward Lessing.

However, at the 1924 general election, Glyn substantially increased his vote,and won the seat with a majority of over 4,000 votes.He represented the constituency for nearly thirty years, and was returned unopposed at the 1931 election and at the 1935 election. He was made a baronet 21 January 1934, of Farnborough Downs, in the County of Berkshire, and in 1953 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Glyn, of Farnborough in the County of Berkshire.

Lord Glyn married Sibell Vanden Bempde-Johnstone, daughter of Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 2nd Baron Derwent and widow of Brigadier-General Walter Long, in 1921. She was the mother of Walter Long, 2nd Viscount Long. There were no children from the marriage. Lady Glyn died in 1958. Lord Glyn survived her by two years and died in Oxfordshire in 1960, aged 75, when the baronetcy and barony became extinct.

Glyn was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1924-1952 and again from 1955–1960 in addition to be the Vice-chairman of the Governors from 1958 until his death in 1960. and the Mayor of Abingdon.