Charles Leatherland, Baron Leatherland

His mother Elizabeth Leatherland (née Abbis), a blacksmith's daughter, died when he was 9 years old.

[6] In 1923 and 1924 he won gold medals in an international essay writing competition organised by the London Chamber of Commerce.

[7] In 1924 he moved to London to work as Parliamentary Correspondent in the Labour Party Press and Publicity Department.

In 1926 he played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the 1926 general strike writing much of the contents of the British Worker, the TUC strike newspaper, including the TUC's "Message to All Workers" which appeared on the front cover of every issue.

He wrote a weekly political gossip column for the Sunday Dispatch and weekly articles in the magazines John Bull and The Passing Show, both published by the Daily Herald owners Odhams Press.

He was Chairman of the Dunton Parish Invasion Committee and made radio broadcasts for the BBC during the Second World War.

[13] After spells as a district councillor in Laindon and Billericay, he became an Alderman on Essex County Council in 1946.

He also spent 15 years as Chairman of the Eastern Regional Council of the Labour Party.

In 1951 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for political and public service.

[15] On 16 December 1964 he was created a life peer as Baron Leatherland, of Dunton in the County of Essex.