Sir Clive Bossom was born in New York on 4 February 1918 and returned to England as a child before attending Eton. Bossom’s childhood was dominated by a plane crash that killed his mother and older brother, bringing him much closer to his father. During the war he served in Europe and the Far East in the Royal East Kent regiment, leaving the army in 1948 with the rank of Major. He married Barbara North, proposing to her during his 1951 election campaign, and they had four children together.
His father was a Conservative MP before he entered the Lords, whose influence in Kent helped Sir Clive become first a County Councillor and later Conservative candidate for Faversham. Sir Clive lost twice in the 1950s before winning in Leominster (1959). During his time on the backbenches his Private Members’ Bill, the Antarctic Treaty Bill, was passed helping ratify an agreement to protect the continent’s environment. Bossom stood down from Parliament in 1974, having succeeded his father as 2nd baronet, to pursue a business career. He was later known for his involvement in motorsport.
Sir Clive died in March 2017, and we have featured his interview on our blog.