John Cowburn Beavan, Baron Ardwick (9 April 1910 – 18 August 1994) was a British journalist, Labour life peer and Member of the European Parliament. Born to a Welsh father in Ardwick, Manchester, he began his journalistic career in local newspapers before a long associations with The Guardian and Mirror. He was a staunch Labour supporter and was appointed as a life peer by Harold Wilson in 1970, namely to represent journalism in the House of Lords.
The Lord Ardwick | |
|---|---|
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 16 January 1970 Life Peerage – 18 August 1994 | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1975–1979 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 April 1910 |
| Died | 18 August 1994 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Gladys Jones |
| Children | 3 (including Matthew Symonds) |
| Relatives | Carrie Johnson (granddaughter) |
| Alma mater | Manchester Grammar School |
| Occupation | politician, editor, reporter |
Early life and education
editBeavan was a son of Silas Morgan Beavan (of Welsh origin and a grocer, according to censuses) and Emily Esther (née Hussey); and was educated at Manchester Grammar School.[1]
Career
editBeavan was reporter of the Manchester Evening News, becoming its editor in 1943. Between 1946 and 1955, he was London editor of The Guardian.[2] For two years, 1960 to 1962, he was editor of the Daily Herald, then becoming political advisor to the Mirror Group, a post he retained until 1976.[3] He was a Labour Member of the European Parliament from 1975 to 1979.[2]
On 16 January 1970, he was created a life peer as Baron Ardwick, of Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.[4]
Personal life
editHe married Gladys Jones in 1934 by whom he had two children. By Anne Symonds, a BBC World Service journalist, he was also the father of Matthew Symonds.[5] Symonds' daughter Carrie is the spouse of the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, a Conservative.[6]
Arms
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References
edit- ^ 2007 "Ardwick, Baron cr 1970 (Life Peer), of Barnes, (John Cowburn Beavan) (29 April 1910–18 Aug. 1994)." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 26 Jul. 2019
- ^ a b Terence Lancaster Obituary: Lord Ardwick, The Independent, 19 August 1994
- ^ Dennis Griffiths (ed) The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992, London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p,97
- ^ "No. 45021". The London Gazette. 16 January 1970. p. 658.
- ^ 2018 "Symonds, Matthew John, (born 20 Dec. 1953), Executive Director, Lawrence Ellison Foundation, since 2018." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 26 Jul. 2019
- ^ ITV Report, Carrie Symonds: Who is Boris Johnson's partner? at itv.com dated 22 June 2019, accessed 24 June 2019
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