Frances Davidson, Viscountess Davidson

The Rt Hon. The Viscountess Davidson DBE
Member of Parliament for Hemel Hempstead
In office 22 June 1937 – 8 October 1959
Preceded by	Sir J.C.C. Davidson
Succeeded by	James Allason
Personal details
Born	Frances Joan Dickinson 29 May 1894
Died	25 November 1985 (aged 91)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Sir J. C. C. Davidson

Frances Joan Davidson, Viscountess Davidson, Baroness Northchurch, DBE (née Dickinson; 29 May 1894 – 25 November 1985),^[1] styled Lady Davidson between 1935 and 1937 and as Viscountess Davidson between 1937 and 1985, was a British Conservative Party politician.

Background and education

She was the daughter of Sir Willoughby Dickinson, later Baron Dickinson. Her father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all Members of Parliament. She was educated at Kensington High School and Northfields, Englefield Green.

Career

During World War I, she served in the Red Cross POW Department and was appointed OBE in 1919. When her husband, Sir J. C. C. Davidson, was created Viscount Davidson in 1937, she was elected at a by-election to succeed him as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Hemel Hempstead.^[2] She held the seat until she retired from the House of Commons at the 1959 general election. For a short time after the 1945 general election, she was the only female Conservative MP.

Honours

She was appointed a DBE in 1952 and created a life peer as Baroness Northchurch, of Chiswick in the County of Middlesex, in 1963. She and her husband were one of the few couples who both held titles in their own right.

Family

She died, aged 91, from natural causes.

References

1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 2)
2. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 372. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscountess Davidson