Francis Fremantle

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Francis Edward Fremantle, OBE, DL, FRCS, FRCP (29 May 1872 – 26 August 1943) was a British physician and Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for St Albans from 1919 until his death.

Early life F E Fremantle was the fourth son of the Very Rev. William Henry Fremantle, Dean of Ripon. Following education at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford, he went to study medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He received his doctorate in 1898.

Medicine In 1902 he was appointed county medical officer of health for Hertfordshire, a post he held until 1916. He was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1910, and subsequently served on the organisation's council. Later in the year, Hildred Carlile, the Conservative MP for St Albans, resigned from the House of Commons due to ill-health. Fremantle was selected as the Coalition Conservative candidate for the resulting by-election held in December, and was elected despite a strong challenge from the Labour Party.

Fremantle became a frequent speaker in parliament, being recognised as a spokesman for the medical profession, and was chairman of the Parliamentary Medical Committee from 1923 to 1943. In 1926 he became a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

Marriage and death In 1905 he married Dorothy Chinnery, and they had one son.