Olympic trivia..

• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  6 August 2012     13:44186224
  #1       report
  ... Did you know that a double Olympic medal winner was an MP for Dover?
  
  John Jacob Astor was Dover MP from 1922 to 1945.
  
  He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and won a Gold (individual) and a Bronze (doubles) medals in what was then called 'rackets'. apparently a form of squash.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor,_1st_Baron_Astor_of_Hever
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 August 2012     13:54186226
  #2       report
  wonder why he didn't take up his seat in the lords rather than stand for the "unionist" party in dover?
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  6 August 2012     14:10186230
  #3       report
  Howard - he was MP to 1945 and elevated to the peerage in 1956 when he would have taken a seat of the Upper House. So the question of not taking up a seat of the Upper House never arose.
  
  Sorry -I should add to clarify. He did not inherit his father seat in the Lords as a younger son, 4th child.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 August 2012     14:14186232
  #4       report
  all very complicated barry, i thought that if he was a baron then he would automatically qualify for the upper house.
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  6 August 2012     14:19186234
  #5       report
  He did, when he was made Baron in his own right in 1956. Before that he did not inherit his father's title being a younger son.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 August 2012     14:51186239
  #6       report
  logical really i suppose barry, if everyone born into a title was eligible for the lords they would have to relocate to the olympic stadium.