Herbert James Baxter

His Honour Herbert James Baxter OBE (6 March 1900 – 3 May 1974), was a British judge, Intelligence Officer and Liberal Party politician.

## Background

[edit]

Baxter was born the son of James Baxter. He was educated at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury and Exeter College, Oxford.[1] In 1931 he married Mary Kathleen Young. They had one son and two daughters. He was awarded the OBE and the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1946.[2]

## Professional career

[edit]

Baxter was for two years in the Inland Revenue. He was then a private schoolmaster. In 1927 he received a Call to Bar.[1] by the Inner Temple.

In World War II he entered the UK Security Service MI5. He was a Regional Security Liaison Officer (RSLO) based in Manchester in 1941.[3] By 1943 Major Baxter was in charge of section B1D, the London Reception Centre, at the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, which questioned civilians arriving in the UK from occupied Europe.[4]

He was a Circuit Judge (formerly County Court Judge), from 1955 to 1973.[2]

## Political career

[edit]

Baxter was Liberal candidate for the Dover division of Kent at the 1929 General Election. Dover was a safe Unionist seat that the Liberals had not contested in either the 1923 General Election, the 1924 by-election or the 1924 General Election. Despite this, he managed to poll nearly as many votes as the second placed Labour Party candidate. He was re-selected as prospective Liberal candidate for Dover. Due to the formation of the National Government in September 1931 he did not contest the 1931 General Election, withdrawing on 16 October. He was Liberal candidate for the safe Unionist Hornsey division of Middlesex at the 1935 General Election. The Unionist was again the comfortable victor and Baxter finished third. In February 1939 he was approached by Dover Liberal Association to return to be their prospective candidate at the general election expected to occur later that year. However, the election was postponed due to the outbreak of war. He did not stand for parliament again.[5]

### Electoral record

[edit]

General Election 1929: Dover [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Unionist | John Astor | 17,745  | 54.7  |
| Labour | Ernest Lionel McKeag  | 7,646  | 23.6  |
| Liberal | Herbert Baxter | 7,056  | 21.7  | n/a
Majority  | 10,099  | 31.1  |
Turnout |  |  |
| Unionist hold | Swing |  |
General Election 1935: Hornsey [6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Euan Wallace | 30,494  | 64.9  |
| Labour | Mari M Power  | 10,320  | 21.9  |
| Liberal | Herbert Baxter | 6,206  | 13.2  | n/a
Majority  | 20,174  | 43.0  |
Turnout | 47,020  | 67.0  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

## See also

[edit]

* Kathleen Baxter

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b The Times House of Commons, 1929
2. ^ a b BAXTER, His Honour Herbert James’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 7 April 2016
3. ^ Tremain, David (5 April 2019). The Beautiful Spy: The Life and Crimes of Vera Eriksen.
4. ^ Curry, John (1999). The Security Service 1908-1945. Public Record Office.
5. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1973, FWS Craig
6. ^ a b British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig