Preceded by Stanley Henig Role British Politician Nationality British Died March 4, 2014 | Political party Conservative Party Conservative Party Name Elaine Kellett-Bowman | |
 | ||
Succeeded by Constituency abolished, see Lancaster and Wyre Succeeded by Sheila Faith for Cumbria and Lancashire North Born 8 July 1923 ( 1923-07-08 ) Spouse(s) Charles Norman Kellett
(1945–1959; his death)
Edward Bowman
(1971–2014) | ||
Dame Mary Elaine Kellett-Bowman, DBE (8 July 1923 – 4 March 2014) was a British Conservative politician, serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Lancaster for 27 years from 1970.
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Life and career
Born Mary Elaine Kay to Walter and Edith (née Leather) Kay, she was educated at The Mount School, York, St Anne's College, Oxford, and Barnett House, Oxford, and became a barrister, called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1964. She served as a councillor on Denbigh Borough Council, 1952–55, and the London Borough of Camden, 1968-74. She was also a governor of Culford School, 1963–2003.
As Mary Kellett, she contested Nelson and Colne in 1955, South West Norfolk twice in 1959 (including a by-election), and Buckingham in 1964 and 1966. She was MP for Lancaster from 1970 until her retirement in 1997. She also served as a Member of the European Parliament in the British delegation from 1975, and was then elected for Cumbria in 1979. She remained an MEP until 1984, when she stepped down in order to concentrate on her seat in the British Parliament.
Capital Gay arson attack
In 1987, the paper Capital Gay's offices were targeted in an arson attack. Tony Banks said "On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I heard the hon. Member for Lancaster (Mrs. Kellett-Bowman) say that it was quite right that Capital Gay should have been fire—" Ms Kellett-Bowman said "I am quite prepared to affirm that it is quite right that there should be an intolerance of evil."
Personal life
She had four children with her first husband, Charles Norman Kellett, but was widowed in December 1959; her husband died in a car accident in which she suffered head injuries and memory loss.
She married Edward Bowman in June 1971; the couple served alongside each other on Camden Borough Council and as Members of the European Parliament; both took the shared surname of Kellett-Bowman.