Gavin Henderson, 2nd Baron Faringdon

(Alexander) Gavin Henderson, 2nd Baron Faringdon (20 March 1902 – 29 January 1977) was a British Labour politician and pacifist. He is most known for his charity work, his heavy financial support of medical aid programmes, and for housing 40 child refugees fleeing Franco's forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Early and personal life Henderson was the son of Lt-Col. the Hon. Harold Henderson and grew up in Shellingford. He was sent to Eton College, then attended McGill University in Montreal, before graduating from Christ Church, Oxford, in 1924. At Oxford he was part of the Hypocrites' Club. He is considered as one of the group designated by the tabloid press as the 'Bright Young People'.

Described by David Cargill as a "roaring pansy", Henderson was known for his effeminate demeanour, once opening a speech in the House of Lords with the words "My dears" instead of "My Lords". Historians have noted how various sources describe Henderson as a homosexual. In his early life, he had been prominent among the bright young things. In opposition to his family's strict conservative politics, Henderson joined the Labour Party in the late 1930s, and sat as a Labour peer in the House of Lords. Henderson used his position as a peer to campaign for Labour candidates on their behalf. He also joined the Parliamentary Pacifist Group.

Experiences during the Spanish Civil War Henderson was a keen supporter of the Republican cause and anti-fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. He joined the Spanish Medical Aid Committee (SMAC) when it was first established in 1936, and later travelled to Spain to visit numerous front-line hospitals. Together with the help of other public figures including Peter Churchill and Sir Stafford Cripps, Henderson led a left-wing organisation known as the Friends of the Spanish People (FSP), and helped to run their newspaper, Spanish News.

Henderson's pacificist beliefs exempted him from fighting in WWII, instead he served in both the London Fire Brigade, and Bristol, during World War II. Following his defeat, he was appointed an alderman, a post he held until 1965. Henderson became an authority on Georgian architecture and spent the remainder of his life working to preserve historic British buildings, most notably British country homes.