Former Tetbury MP dies

12:03pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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SIR Anthony Kershaw, who was Conservative MP for Tetbury and Stroud between 1955 to 1987, died on April 29 aged 92.

Sir Anthony was born in Cairo in 1915 and later educated at Eton and Balliol College in Oxford before becoming a barrister in 1939.

He served with the Thames River Police at the beginning of World War II, and was then commissioned in the 16th/5th Lancers, winning the Military Cross.

After the war he joined the Inns of Court Regiment in the Territorial Army and in 1951 he transferred to the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars.

He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the regiment.

Sir Anthony served as a member of the London County Council between 1946 and 1949 and as a councillor on the Westminster City Council from 1947 until 1948.

He also contested Gloucester in 1950 and 1951 and was a junior minister during the 1970-1974 Conservative government, for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Defence.

Towards the end of Winston Churchill's life, Sir Anthony was responsible for looking the frail war-hero when he was present in the House of Commons, as well as keeping him company in the Commons library.

In 1981 he received a knighthood.

As well as Stroud his constituency also used to cover Tetbury, before it was reassigned to the Cotswolds constituency.

Current MP for the Cotswolds Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: "Sir Anthony Kershaw was a much respected, long-serving MP for Stroud. I got to know him in 1997. We always had extremely cordial relations - I always found his advice invaluable. I'd like to send my thoughts to his family at this sad time."