Maurice Bonham Carter

Sir Maurice Bonham-Carter (11 October 1880 – 7 June 1960) was an English Liberal politician. He served as the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith from 1910 to 1916 and held various other government positions subsequently. Bonham-Carter also played first-class cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club in the early 1900s. He was the grandfather of actress Helena Bonham Carter.

Early Life

Maurice Bonham-Carter was born in Kensington, London, on 11 October 1880. He was a member of the Bonham Carter family, a prominent family in England. He was the eleventh child of Sibella Charlotte (née Norman) and Henry Bonham-Carter. His siblings included General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter, who served as Governor of Malta from 1936 to 1940, and Sir Edgar Bonham-Carter, a lawyer. Bonham-Carter was educated at Winchester College and subsequently attended Balliol College, Oxford.

Cricket Career

While at Oxford, Bonham-Carter was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. He played thirteen first-class matches for Oxford University Cricket Club between 1901 and 1902, earning a cricket Blue in 1902. His highest score in first-class cricket was 86 runs in a match against H.D.G. Leveson Gower's XI at The Parks in 1902. Additionally, he played one first-class match for Kent County Cricket Club in 1902.

Legal and Political Career

Bonham-Carter was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1909. From 1910 to 1916, he served as Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith. During this period, he accompanied Asquith on various official visits, including to the frontlines at Ypres in 1915 and to Italy and Ireland in 1916 following the Easter Rising.

After Asquith's resignation in 1916, Bonham-Carter left his role as private secretary and became Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Reconstruction. In 1918, he joined the Air Ministry and the Road Transport Board. He was known as a supporter of innovative ideas and personalities within the British Liberal Party.

Business Endeavors and Honors

Apart from his political career, Bonham-Carter was involved in the finance sector as a partner in a stockbrokers firm. He held directorships at multiple companies, including Aero Engine Ltd, Alpha Cement Ltd, Earls Court Ltd, Blackburn and General Aircraft, Hanworth Securities Ltd, Scophony Ltd, Power Jets Ltd, and others. He also partnered with merchant bankers O.T. Falk and Partners, as well as stockbrokers Buckmaster & Moore.

He received several honors during his lifetime. In 1916, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) as part of Asquith’s resignation honors. In the 1917 Birthday Honours, he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).

Personal Life

On 30 November 1915, Maurice Bonham-Carter married Violet Asquith, daughter of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith. Both were granted titles in their own right, making them one of the few couples where both spouses held peerages. They had four children:

- The Honourable Cressida Bonham-Carter (1917–1998), who married Jasper Ridley.

- The Honourable Laura Miranda Bonham-Carter (1918–1994), who married politician Jo Grimond.

- Mark Bonham Carter, Baron Bonham Carter of Yarnbury (1922–1994).

- The Honourable Raymond Henry Bonham-Carter (1929–2004).

Bonham-Carter passed away in 1960 at the age of 79. He is buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church in Mells, Somerset.

Descendants

Through his eldest daughter Cressida, he was the grandfather of Sir Adam Ridley. His eldest son, Mark Bonham Carter, was the grandfather of three girls, including Jane Bonham Carter, Baroness Bonham Carter of Yarnbury, who is the domestic partner of Tim Razzall, Baron Razzall.

His youngest son Raymond was the grandfather of Helena Bonham Carter, the actress, and Edward Bonham Carter, a financial executive.