Cooper Rawson

Sir Alfred Cooper Rawson (26 July 1876 – 11 January 1946) was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. After a decade in local government, he sat in the House of Commons from 1922 to 1944.

Business career Born in Leicester, Rawson established himself in the road stone industry, becoming chairman of several companies, including the Montsorrel Granite Company, the Endaby Stoney Stanton Granite Company, John Ellis and sons, and Durex Ltd. He was a delegate to the International Road Congress in 1923 and in 1926, and in 1930 he was president of the Granite Guild; the following year he was president of the Institute of Quarrying.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve During World War I, he joined the Royal Naval Division as a sub-lieutenant, transferring in 1916 to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). He served the rest of the war with the RNVR at The Crystal Palace, becoming a temporary lieutenant commander. replacing the Conservative MP Charles Thomas-Stanford, who had retired. He stood down from local government on his election to Westminster and retired from Parliament on 17 January 1944, by resigning his seat through the procedural device of accepting appointment as Steward of the Manor of Northstead.

Honours Rawson was knighted in the 1926 New Year Honours List, and in 1927 he was awarded the Legion of Honour by the government of France, for his work with the British League of Help.

Family Rawson married Elizabeth Robson in 1902. He died on 11 January 1946 at Hove, Sussex, aged 69.