Murray David Maitland Keddie


Murray David Maitland Keddie, known as David Keddie, was a prominent Essex businessman, broadcaster, benefactor, magistrate, Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Essex in 1986..

Early life

Keddie was educated at Summer Fields School, Summertown, Oxford, and Malvern College. In the period 1947-51, whilst studying for the Bar, he served in the Inns of Court Regiment, part of the Territorial Force, and then served as a National Service Officer in the 10th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery until 1953.

Business life

In 1954, he joined Keddies, the family-owned department store in Southend on Sea, Essex, as a Director. He managed Keddies for 42 years until it ceased trading in 1996, due to the effect of competition from out-of-town centre shopping malls. During his time in charge he expanded Keddies into a small department store chain during the 60s and 70s.
Whilst at Keddies, in the early 1960s, he pioneered Supa-Save discount stores in Southend. With these he challenged the retail status quo and was instrumental in eventually abolishing the Retail Price Maintenance, or RPM, against legal and regulatory opposition. Following a number of injunctions, court cases, and joining forces with other retailers, the RPM was eventually abolished in 1964.

Public offices

Keddie held a number of public offices over the years. In 1972, he was Senior Magistrate for the Southend Bench; in 1983, he was Deputy Lieutenant of Essex and, in 1985-86 he was appointed High Sheriff of Essex. In 1986 he was President of the Essex Show, and continued as Director of the Essex Agricultural Society.

Broadcasting

In 1981, after unsuccessfully lobbying the BBC to launch a local radio station in Essex, he founded Essex Radio, and was its first Chairman until 1991

Architecture

He was a proponent of the Modern Movement in Essex, commissioning architects Yorke, Rosenberg & Mardall to design the family home, Ark House and redevelop the Keddies store in Southend. The Keddies store was awarded a Civic Trust Award in 1963 and featured in Concrete Quarterly

Pro-bono

He was also active in charitable, fundraising activities: