CONSTITUENCY ARCHIVE : Abbey Constituency

Part of the constituency archive.

ABBEY

14 Dec 1918 – William Lehman Ashmead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts (20 Jan 1851 – 28 Jul 1921) aged 70

25 Aug 1921 – John Sanctuary Nicholson (19 May 1863 – 21 Feb 1924) aged 60

19 Mar 1924 – Otho William Nicholson [NB 1] (30 Nov 1891 – 29 Jun 1978) aged 86 [NB 2]

12 Jul 1932 – Sidney Herbert, later [1936] 1st baronet (29 Jul 1890 – 22 Mar 1939) aged 48

17 May 1939 – Sir William Harold Webbe (30 Sep 1885 – 22 Apr 1965) aged 79

CONSTITUENCY ABOLISHED 1950

[NB 1 – Otho William Nicholson, MP for Abbey 1924-1932]

Nicholson was one of only three survivors of an air crash at London Airport on 2 March 1948.

The following edited report appeared in “The Times” of 3 March 1948:-

‘A Dakota aircraft of the Sabena Airline [the national airline of Belgium] from Brussels, arriving
at London Airport, Heathrow, in thick fog soon after 9 o’clock last night, crashed in landing
and burst into flames on the ground. Of the passengers and crew, numbering 22, all but three
were killed. The three survivors [including Nicholson] were pulled clear of the wreckage by the
first members of the airport rescue teams to reach the aircraft…….This is the worst accident
that has happened at London Airport. The aircraft landed in a nose dive about 50 yards from
the wide concrete band of the runway which is generally used in fog. There was an explosion
and the Dakota broke into fierce flames immediately.

‘After the three survivors had been rescued the heat became so intense that no more rescues
were possible. In spite of the water and foam poured on to the flames the fire raged some
time before it became possible to reach the first bodies. The rescue squad and other helpers
worked in the fog in the beams of portable searchlights, ankle-deep in mud and foam. In an
hour or so the fire had almost burned itself out, leaving masses of red-hot ashes from which
the charred bodies were extricated with great difficulty, long pauses being necessary while
more water was poured in.’

[NB 2 – by-election contested by Winston Churchill, who was only narrowly defeated]