Lucy Masterman

Lucy Blanche Masterman (19 July 1884 – 22 April 1977) was a British Liberal Party politician, poet and diarist from the Lyttelton family. She married the Cabinet Minister, Charles Masterman.

Lucy Masterman
Plaque at St Giles' Church, Camberwell commemorating Lucy Masterman

Early life

Born Lucy Blanche Lyttelton, the eldest daughter of Rt. Hon. Gen. Sir Neville Lyttelton and his wife, Katherine Sarah Stuart-Wortley, she married Charles Masterman in 1908. They had one son (the University of Wales Swansea historian Neville Masterman) and two daughters (including Margaret Masterman), before he died on 17 November 1927.

Literary career

During the period when her husband was in Government, she kept a diary. She published in 1912 Lyrical Poems. She worked as Literary editor for Outlook. Assisting Elizabeth Lee, she published in 1918 Wives of the Prime Ministers 1844-1906. She published in 1939 - C. F. G. Masterman: a biography.

She was the author of A Book of Wild Things, 1910; Poems, John Lane, 1913; Mary Gladstone (Mrs Drew): her diaries and letters, as editor, Methuen, 1930London from the Bus-top, Dennis Dobson, 1951.

Political career

She was the Liberal Party candidate for the Conservative seat of Salisbury at the 1929 General Election. The Liberal party had last won the seat in 1923 and had come second in 1924. She finished a strong second, well ahead of Labour;

1929 United Kingdom general election: Salisbury[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Hugh Morrison 15,672 47.3 −9.0
Liberal Lucy Blanche Masterman 13,022 39.3 +3.7
Labour F. R. Hancock 4,435 13.4 +5.3
Majority 2,650 8.0 −12.7
Turnout 33,129 81.9 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing

She remained active for the Liberals in Salisbury and was again candidate at the Salisbury by-election in March 1931, when she again finished second;

1931 Salisbury by-election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Archibald St George Fitzwarenne-Despencer Robertson 15,800 53.9 +6.3
Liberal Lucy Blanche Masterman 9,588 32.7 −6.6
Labour F. R. Hancock 3,939 13.4 +0
Majority 6,212 21.2 +13.2
Turnout 29,327 71.1 −10.8
Conservative hold Swing +6.6

After the by-election she continued as prospective Liberal candidate for Salisbury until she resigned in September 1931. The Liberals and Conservatives had joined the National Government and Salisbury Liberals decided not to contest the seat. She did not contest an election again, however she remained politically active. In June 1936 she was elected to serve on the Liberal Party Council.[2]

References
  1. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 497. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  2. The Liberal Magazine, 1936
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