Harold Thomas Cawley

Harold Thomas Cawley MP, circa 1910

Photograph of Harold Thomas Cawley, of the Bury and District Soldiers' Memorial Book, Section 1914-1915, published by the Bury Times

Captain Harold Thomas Cawley (12 June 1878 – 23 September 1915) was a British barrister, Liberal Party politician and soldier.

Background

Born at Crumpsall, he was the second son of Frederick Cawley, 1st Baron Cawley and his wife Elizabeth Smith, daughter of John Smith. His younger brother was Oswald Cawley. Cawley was educated at Rugby School and then at New College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Master of Arts. He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1902 and went to the Northern Circuit, working in Lancashire. Two years later he joined the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

Career

In 1910, Cawley entered the British House of Commons for Heywood, and a year later he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary Reginald McKenna. In 1914 he became aide de camp to Major-General William Douglas, the officer commanding 42nd (East Lancashire) Division.

Death

In the First World War, Cawley fought in the Battle of Gallipoli where he was killed in action. Before his death, he sent a letter to his father, at that time representative of Prestwich in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. As a Member of Parliament the letter was not subject to military censorship, and it reported the mishandling of the Dardanelles campaign in some detail.

It was in memory of Harold and two other sons - Oswald and John - who died in the war that their father endowed a ward at Ancoats Hospital, Manchester, in 1919 at a cost of £10,000.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Harold Cawley
• Church memorials

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir Edward Hopkinson Holden	Member of Parliament for Heywood January 1910 – 1915	Succeeded by Albert Holden Illingworth