Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth

For other people named Edward Boyle, see Edward Boyle (disambiguation).

Edward Charles Gurney Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth, CH, PC (31 August 1923 – 28 September 1981), known as Sir Edward Boyle, 3rd Baronet, between 1945 and 1970, was a British Conservative Party politician and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds.

The Right Honourable The Lord Boyle of Handsworth CH PC
Boyle in 1969
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Science
In office 16 February 1965 – 15 October 1969
Leader	Alec Douglas-Home Edward Heath
Preceded by	Quintin Hogg
Succeeded by	Margaret Thatcher
Shadow Home Secretary
In office 29 October 1964 – 16 February 1965
Leader	Alec Douglas-Home
Preceded by	Henry Brooke
Succeeded by	Peter Thorneycroft
Minister of State for Education and Science
In office 1 April 1964 – 16 October 1964
Prime Minister	Alec Douglas-Home
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Reg Prentice
Minister of Education
In office 13 July 1962 – 1 April 1964
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home
Preceded by	David Eccles
Succeeded by	Quintin Hogg
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
In office 22 October 1959 – 13 July 1962
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Jocelyn Simon
Succeeded by	Anthony Barber
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education
In office 18 January 1957 – 22 October 1959
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Dennis Vosper
Succeeded by	Kenneth Thompson
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
In office 7 April 1955 – 11 November 1956
Prime Minister	Anthony Eden
Preceded by	Reginald Maudling
Succeeded by	Derek Walker-Smith
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply
In office 28 July 1954 – 7 April 1955
Prime Minister	Winston Churchill
Preceded by	Toby Low
Succeeded by	Frederick Erroll
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Handsworth
In office 16 November 1950 – 29 May 1970
Preceded by	Harold Roberts
Succeeded by	Sydney Chapman
Personal details
Born	Edward Charles Gurney Boyle (1923-08-31)31 August 1923 Kensington, London, UK
Died	28 September 1981(1981-09-28) (aged 58)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Early life and career

Boyle was born in Kensington, London, the eldest son of Sir Edward Boyle, 2nd Baronet, and succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1945.^[1] He was educated at Eton College and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford, in 1949 with a third-class BA (later converted to an MA) in history.^[2] From 1942 to 1945, he was a temporary junior administration officer at the Foreign Office. He worked at Bletchley Park in intelligence.^[3]

Political career

The then Sir Edward Boyle entered Parliament in 1950 as MP for Birmingham Handsworth, a seat he would hold until his retirement in 1970. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Under-Secretary of State for Air from 1951 to 1952 and to the Under-Secretary of State for Defence in 1952, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Supply from 1954 to 1955, Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 1955 to 1956 (he resigned from this role in protest of the Suez Crisis), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education from 1957 to 1959, Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1959 to 1962, Minister of Education from 1962 to 1964 and Minister of State for Education and Science in 1964.^[2] In 1957 he opened the new teaching block and science block extension at Abingdon School.^[4]

University of Leeds

The Edward Boyle library at the University of Leeds was named in his honour.

Boyle was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds in 1970. He was a Trustee of the British Museum from 1970 to 1981 and Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of UK Universities from 1977 to 1979.

In 1977 he had been due to deliver the Reith Lectures for the BBC. Despite 2 years preparation time, he withdrew with 3 months notice.^[5]

Boyle died from cancer in Leeds on 28 September 1981, aged 58. He was unmarried and childless and whilst his life peerage became extinct at his death, his baronetcy passed to his brother, Richard.^[2]

Honours

On his retirement from parliament in 1970, Boyle was awarded a life peerage as Baron Boyle of Handsworth, of Salehurst in the County of Sussex.^[6]

Boyle was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by the following universities:^{[citation needed]}

• University of Leeds (1965)
• University of Southampton (1965)
• University of Bath (1968)^[7]
• University of Sussex (1972)
• University of Liverpool (1981)

Boyle also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1977.^[8]

Boyle was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) on 13 June 1981.^[9]

Flanders and Swann satirically cited "Edward Boyle's Law" : The greater the external pressure, the greater the volume of hot air.

Coat of arms of Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth

Crest In front of a lion's head couped Argent a staff fesswise Gules. Escutcheon Per bend raguly Gules and Argent two staves raguly in bend counterchanged. Supporters Dexter an owl Proper, sinister a lion Argent. Motto God's Providence Is My Inheritance [10]

Edward Boyle Memorial Trust Foundation Scholarship

The Edward Boyle Memorial Trust was established in the wake of the death of the Lord Edward Boyle, in September 1981.

Its aims were the advancement of education, learning and music and its guidelines are as follows:

• support will be given to talented young people at a time when they are in most need;
• the Trust does not intend to do what institutions or individuals should do for themselves. It will help those with proven talent who have shown that they deserve help and are prepared to make their own substantial contribution;
• the Trust will support originality and excellence;
• administration costs will be kept to a minimum;
• because some donors have indicated ways in which they wish their contributions to be used the Trustees will endeavor to meet their requests.

The Trust offered the following support:

• Ove Arup/Edward Boyle Scholarships, intended for students from Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia following an undergraduate course in mechanical or electrical and electronic engineering, and
• Medical Elective Bursaries intended for Commonwealth students.

Publications

• The politics of education: Edward Boyle and Anthony Crosland in conversation with Maurice Kogan (Penguin education specials), ed. M. Kogan, Harmondsworth : Penguin, 1971.
• The Bedside 'Guardian' 22 (1972–73). Introduction, London: Collins, 1973.