Sir Walter Palmer, 1st Baronet

Sir Walter Palmer, 1st Baronet (4 February 1858 – 16 April 1910) was a biscuit manufacturer and Conservative Party politician who served in the House of Commons from 1900 to 1906.[2]

Palmer was born in Reading, Berkshire the son of George Palmer who founded the firm of Huntley & Palmer, biscuit manufacturers.[3] He was educated at University College London, and also at the Sorbonne, Paris. He became a director of the firm and was also the first chairman of University College, Reading.[3] In 1900 he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Berkshire.[4]

In 1900 Palmer was elected Member of Parliament for Salisbury.[5] He lost his seat in the general election of 1906 by the narrow margin of 41 votes.[6] In 1904 he was made a baronet. From 1901-1910, he lived at 50 Grosvenor Square, London.[7]

Palmer married Jean Craig, daughter of William Young Craig. Their daughter, Gladys Milton Palmer, married Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke, heir-apparent of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, titled "His Highness The Tuan Muda of Sarawak" in 1904.[3] Gladys converted to Islam in 1932.[8]

Palmer died on 16 April 1910 at Newbury at the age of 52; the baronetcy became extinct.

References

  1. ^ A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England.
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment's list of baronets
  3. ^ a b c Burke's Peerage
  4. ^ "No. 27244". The London Gazette. 6 November 1900. p. 6784.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 2)
  6. ^ Craig, FWS (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918. London: Macmillan. p. 181.
  7. ^ "Grosvenor Square: Individual Houses built before 1926 Survey of London: Volume 40, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 2 (The Buildings)". British History Online. LCC 1980. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  8. ^ French, Paul (2 March 2019). "The last king of Xinjiang: how Bertram Sheldrake went from condiment heir to Muslim monarch". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 July 2019.