Thomas Macpherson, 1st Baron Macpherson of Drumochter

Thomas Macpherson, 1st Baron Macpherson of Drumochter (9 July 1888 – 11 June 1965), was a Scottish businessman, and Labour Party politician.

Macpherson was the son of James Macpherson of Muirhead near Chryston in Lanarkshire. He was Chairman of Macpherson, Train & Co Ltd, food and produce importers and exporters. He was also involved in the Food Defence Plans organisation from 1938 to 1939 and served Chairman of the London Provision Exchange and as a Member of the Port of London Authority. He was Chairman of Romford Division Liberal Association before joining the Labour Party in 1934.[1] In 1945 Macpherson was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Romford, a seat he held until 1950. The following year, on 30 January 1951, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Macpherson of Drumochter, of Great Warley in the County of Essex.[2]

Lord Macpherson of Drumochter married Lucy, daughter of Arthur Butcher, in 1920. He died in June 1965, aged 76, and was succeeded in the barony by his only son Gordon. Lady Macpherson of Drumochter died in 1984.

Arms

Coat of arms of Thomas Macpherson, 1st Baron Macpherson of Drumochter
Crest
"A wildcat sejant guardant proper holding a cross-crosslet fitchée gules."
Escutcheon
"Arms Per fesse or and azure, a lymphad sail furled flags and pennon flying counter-changed between in chief a dexter hand fessewise couped at the wrist grasping a dagger point upwards, and a cross-crosslet fitchée gules, and in base an oak tree eradicated proper fructed or."
Supporters
"Dexter: a lion gules, gorged with a collar, pendent therefrom an escutcheon or, charged with a garb azure; Sinister: a bull gules, armed and unguled azure, gorged with a collar pendent therefrom an escutcheon gold charged with a boar's head couped also azure."
Motto
Above the Crest: Touch Not This Cat But A Glove
Below the Arms: If There's No Ripple At The Bow There's Something Wrong[3]

References

  1. ^ Chelmsford Chronicle, 23 June 1939
  2. ^ "No. 39136". The London Gazette. 30 January 1951. p. 548.
  3. ^ Debrett's peerage & baronetage 2003. London: Macmillan. 2003. p. 1046.
  • Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Thomas Macpherson
  • Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, [page needed]
  • Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Parker
Member of Parliament for Romford
19451950
Succeeded by
John Lockwood
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Macpherson of Drumochter
1951–1965
Succeeded by
James Gordon Macpherson