Henry Grayson


Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Mulleneux Grayson, 1st Baronet, was an English shipbuilder.

Early life

Grayson was born on 26 June 1865 in Birkenhead and was the son of Henry Holdrege Grayson and Elizabeth Grayson. He was educated at Winchester College and later played first-class cricket for Liverpool and District against Nottinghamshire in 1889 and Yorkshire in 1890, scoring 66 runs at an average of 16.50, with a high score of 42. His brother John was also a first-class cricketer.

Career

He entered the family shipbuilding and ship-repairing firm, H. & C. Grayson Ltd, which had been founded on the River Mersey in 1760 and of which his father was managing director. He succeeded his father on the latter's death in 1904 and was also managing director of the Garston Graving Dock & Shipbuilding Co Ltd.
In 1914 he became a member of the Shipbuilders' Advisory Committee to the Admiralty, and in 1916 was appointed Director of Ship Repairs, a post he held until 1919, with a commission in the Royal Marines. For this work he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1920, and promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire later that year, and created a baronet in the 1922 New Year Honours.
In 1918 he was elected to Parliament as Conservative member for Birkenhead West and served until 1922 when he was succeeded by William Henry Stott.
He lived on Anglesey, of which he was High Sheriff for 1917. From 1939 to 1945 he was chairman of the Anglesey Joint War Organisation and the North Wales Regional Council and commissioner of the St John Ambulance Brigade for Anglesey.

Personal life

He was twice married. His first marriage was to Dora Beatrice Harrington, daughter of Frederick Harrington, on 16 April 1891. Before their divorce in 1927, they were the parents of twelve children, including:
His second marriage was to Louise Mary Delany, daughter of Richard John Delaney, on 20 December 1927.
Grayson died on 27 October 1951.