Mervyn Pike

Irene Mervyn Parnicott Pike, Baroness Pike, DBE (16 September 1918 – 11 January 2004) was a British Conservative politician. The name by which she came to be known, Mervyn, had been the name of her father's best friend, who was to have been her godfather; when he was killed in action, a few days before she was born, her father decided that the baby would take his name.^[1]

The Right Honourable The Baroness Pike DBE
Pike in 1959
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
In office 1 March 1963 – 16 October 1964
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home
Preceded by	Charles Fletcher-Cooke
Succeeded by	George Thomas
Assistant Postmaster-General
In office 22 October 1959 – 1 March 1963
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Kenneth Thompson
Succeeded by	Ray Mawby
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 15 May 1974 – 11 January 2004 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Melton
In office 19 December 1956 – 8 February 1974
Preceded by	Anthony Nutting
Succeeded by	Michael Latham
Personal details
Born	Irene Mervyn Parnicott Pike (1918-09-16)16 September 1918 Castleford, Yorkshire, England
Died	11 January 2004(2004-01-11) (aged 85) Kelso, Scottish Borders
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	University of Reading
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Air Force
Unit	Women's Auxiliary Air Force

Early life

Born in Castleford, Yorkshire,^[2] into a family of Castleford pottery manufacturers, Pike was educated at Hunmanby Hall (East Riding of Yorkshire) and at Reading University and served with the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War II. She was managing director of a firm of pottery manufacturers.^[1]

Career

Pike contested Pontefract in 1951 and Leek in 1955 without success. She was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Melton at a by-election in December 1956. She held several positions including Assistant Postmaster-General from 1959 to 1963, joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department from 1963 to 1964 and Chair of the WRVS from 1974 to 1981 and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission from 1981 to 1985.

Awards

Pike was created a life peer on 15 May 1974 as Baroness Pike, of Melton in Leicestershire,^[3] and was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1981 Birthday Honours.^[4]

Coat of arms of Mervyn Pike

Escutcheon Or on a cross Gules a churchwarden's staff headed of a mitre Or on a chief Sable a castleford fine stoneware teapot Proper. Supporters On either side a fox that on the dexter gorged with a wreath of ivy and that on the sinister with a wreath of rosemary Proper and each resting the interior hind foot on a portcullis Or. Compartment A grassy mount Proper. Motto Faithful Endeavour Orders Order of the British Empire[5]

Death

She died in 2004, unmarried, at a nursing home in Kelso, Scottish Borders, aged 85, from pneumonia following a stroke.^[2]