View source for Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Lonsdale

{{Short description|British Conservative Party politician}}
{{other people||Ian Fraser (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = The Lord Fraser of Lonsdale
|honorific-suffix = [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
|image = The Lord Fraser of Lonsdale.jpg
| office = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br />[[Lord Temporal]]
| term_start = 1 August 1958
| term_end = 19 December 1974 <br />[[Life peer|Life Peerage]]|office1 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for<br /> [[Morecambe and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Morecambe & Lonsdale]]
|term_start1 = 24 February 1950
|term_end1 = 1 August 1958
|predecessor1 = Office created
|successor1 = [[Basil de Ferranti]]
|office2 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for<br /> [[Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Lonsdale]]
|term_start2 = 13 April 1940
|term_end2 = 3 February 1950
|predecessor2 = [[David Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford|Lord Balniel]]
|successor2 = Office abolished
|birth_date = 30 August 1897
|death_date = 19 December 1974 (aged 77)
|alma_mater = [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]]
|party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
}}
'''William Jocelyn Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Lonsdale''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CH|CBE}} (30 August 1897 – 19 December 1974) was a British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician, a Governor of the [[BBC]], a successful businessman and the first person to be awarded a [[life peer]]age under the [[Life Peerages Act 1958]].
Fraser was blinded in [[World War I]] and became Chairman of [[Blind Veterans UK|St Dunstan's]], a charity for blind servicemen.
==Early life and war injury==
Fraser was the son of William Percy Fraser, a businessman of South Africa, who played a role in the development of [[Johannesburg]]. He was born in [[Eastbourne]], England but spent his early years in South Africa. He returned to England and was educated at [[St Cyprian's School]] [[Eastbourne]] and [[Marlborough College]]. He went to the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], at the start of World War I and in the spring of 1916, he was sent out to join the army in France where he was a [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] in the [[King's Shropshire Light Infantry]]. At the [[Battle of the Somme]] on 23 July 1916, a German bullet blinded him. He was sent back to England to the Officers Ward of the London General Hospital and when the bandages were finally removed it was found that he had lost the sight of both his eyes.
[[Sir Arthur Pearson, 1st Baronet|Sir Arthur Pearson]], the chairman of St Dunstan's (now Blind Veterans UK), the independent charity for blind servicemen and women, wrote Fraser a letter explaining how he had gone blind in middle life and how he had made the best of it. Pearson told how he had established St Dunstan's to train war-blinded men and invited Fraser to go there. The letter was delivered to Fraser by Irene "Chips" Mace whom he later married. He accepted the invitation and when Sir Arthur Pearson died after an accident in his bathroom, Fraser, aged twenty-four, was chosen to succeed him as chairman, a position he held for 52 years. He wrote his autobiography ''"Whereas I was Blind"'' at the beginning of [[World War II]] as encouragement in anticipation of soldiers being blinded once again.
==Political life and BBC==
Fraser became [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[St. Pancras North (UK Parliament constituency)|St. Pancras North]] by a narrow majority at the [[1924 United Kingdom general election|1924 general election]]. After losing the seat in the [[1929 United Kingdom general election|1929 general election]], he regained it in [[1931 United Kingdom general election|1931]]. In 1934, he received a knighthood in recognition of the effort that he had put into developing St Dunstans, and two years later he was appointed a Governor of the [[BBC]].  Being on the committee of the BBC, he was no longer allowed to remain a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] and resigned his seat. However, in 1940, an [[Act of Parliament]] was introduced which allowed certain people to be members of parliament and to hold office in the BBC in the public interest during the war. Fraser was elected for [[Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Lonsdale]] in 1940, and held the seat until 1958.
[[File:Ian Fraser memorial, Westminster Abbey.jpg|thumb|Fraser's memorial, Westminster Abbey]]
==Business activity==
Fraser also held many positions on the Boards of other companies. From 1936, he had been on the advisory council of the company Frasers Limited, which had been set up by two uncles trading in Southern Africa. This advisory council was made up of members of the Frasers family, living in England, to whom the Board of Frasers had to report from time to time. He was elected to the Board of Frasers Ltd in 1954 and became chairman after the sudden death of Douglas Fraser in 1956. He would spend two to three months every year at Fraser House in Wepener.
==Honours and personal==
Fraser was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in 1923,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=32782 |date=1 January 1923 |page=9 |supp=y}}</ref> [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1934,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34033 |date=3 July 1934 |page=4223}}</ref> he was appointed a [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]] in 1953<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=39863 |date=1 June 1953 |page=2976 |supp=y}}</ref> and in 1958 became the first [[life peer]] created under the [[Life Peerages Act 1958]] which had been introduced by [[Harold Macmillan]]. He took the title of '''Baron Fraser of Lonsdale''', of [[Regent's Park]] in the [[County of London]] on 1 August 1958.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41465 |date=5 August 1958 |page=4895}}</ref> He died in [[Marylebone]] aged 77. Lady Fraser died in 1978.
[[John Redcliffe-Maud, Baron Redcliffe-Maud|Lord Redcliffe-Maud]] said at the service of Thanksgiving held in [[Westminster Abbey]] on Tuesday 4 February 1975.
:''"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. Therefore, indeed we would if we have eyes to lift. However, the achievement of Ian Fraser's life can be summed up like this; he lifted up the loss of his eyes, in bounden duty and service, day by day for nearly 60 years of his 77 years of life. That living sacrifice was accepted and made creative of great good. It has put new heart into tens of thousands of the sightless (and the sighted) that came within its influence, and nothing will stop the good work now. It would never be the same as if Lord Fraser had not lived and learnt the mystery of the road of Suffering"''.
Lord Fraser has a memorial in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/ian-fraser,-lord-fraser-of-lonsdale|title=Ian Fraser, Lord Fraser of Lonsdale |website=Westminster Abbey|access-date=2018-07-09|language=en}}</ref>
Fraser married Irene Mace (or "Chips" as he called her), the woman who had delivered Pearson's letter, and who he said at the time wore the smoothest and most beautiful kid gloves that he had ever felt. He dedicated the book he wrote in 1961 to her, saying that she had more influence over the affairs of St Dunstans that any other woman, possibly more than any other person.
{{Infobox COA wide
|image = [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|centre|150px]][[File:Fraser of Lonsdale Escutcheon.png|centre|200px]]
|escutcheon = Azure in chief two fraises and in base a lion's face Argent.
|crest = A stag's head erased Gold gorged with an antique crown Gules in the mouth a red corn poppy slipped and leaved Proper.
|supporters = On either side a springbok Proper gorged with an antique crown Gules and charged on the shoulder with a torch enflamed of the last.
|motto = Je Suis Prest (I Am Ready) <ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage |date=1973}}</ref>}}
==Publications==
*''Whereas I was Blind:Autobiography'' Hodder 1942
*''My Story of St Dunstan's'' Harrap 1961
==External links==
* {{Hansard-contribs | sir-ian-fraser | Ian Fraser }}
*[https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/houseoflords/house-of-lords-reform/from-the-collections/from-the-parliamentary-collections-lords-reform/the-work-of-the-life-peers/first-life-peers/ Ian Fraser & the First Life Peers - UK Parliament Living Heritage]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
| title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[St. Pancras North (UK Parliament constituency)|St. Pancras North]]
| years  = [[1924 United Kingdom general election|1924]] – [[1929 United Kingdom general election|1929]]
| before = [[James Marley]]
| after  = [[James Marley]]
}}
{{succession box
| title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[St. Pancras North (UK Parliament constituency)|St. Pancras North]]
| years  = [[1931 United Kingdom general election|1931]] – [[1937 St Pancras North by-election|1937]]
| before = [[James Marley]]
| after  = [[Robert Grant-Ferris]]
}}
{{s-bef | before = [[David Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford|Lord Balniel]] }}
{{s-ttl
| title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Lonsdale]]
| years  = [[1940 Lonsdale by-election|1940]] – [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]]
}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}
{{s-new | constituency}}
{{s-ttl
| title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Morecambe and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Morecambe and Lonsdale]]
| years  = [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950]] – [[1958 Morecambe and Lunesdale by-election|1958]]
}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Basil de Ferranti]] }}
{{s-hon}}
{{s-new | title}}
{{S-ttl|title=Senior life peer|years=1958–1974}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Charles Geddes, Baron Geddes of Epsom|The Lord Geddes of Epsom]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Ian}}
[[Category:1897 births|Fraser of Lonsdale, Ian Fraser, Baron]]
[[Category:1974 deaths|Fraser of Lonsdale, Ian Fraser, Baron]]
[[Category:BBC Governors]]
[[Category:Blind politicians]]
[[Category:Blind royalty and nobility]]
[[Category:British royalty and nobility with disabilities]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British politicians with disabilities]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire|Fraser of Lonsdale, Ian Fraser, Baron]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers|Fraser of Lonsdale, Ian Fraser, Baron]]
[[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour|Fraser of Lonsdale, Ian Fraser, Baron]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:People educated at Marlborough College]]
[[Category:People educated at St Cyprian's School]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1924–1929]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1931–1935]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1935–1945]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1945–1950]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1950–1951]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1951–1955]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–1959]]
[[Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages]]
[[Category:Members of London County Council]]
[[Category:Burials at Westminster Abbey]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:British blind people]]