Ernest Makins

Major Sir Ernest Makins, KBE, CB, DSO, Honorary Brigadier General (14 October 1869 — 18 May 1959) was a British military officer, statesman and Conservative Party politician. He was educated at Winchester College and Christ Church College, Oxford University.

As soldier
He fought in the Boer War between 1899 and 1902, where he was mentioned in despatches. He fought in the First World War, where he was also mentioned in despatches. In 1914 he was named Temporary Brigadier-General of the 6th Cavalry Brigade. He was Colonel of the 1st Royal Dragoons between 1931 and 1946. He was Colonel of the Palace of Westminster's Home Guard from 1940–41, which he raised.

Honours

 * Companion, Distinguished Service Order (DSO; 1902).
 * He was invested as a Companion, Order of the Bath (CB; 1917).
 * He was decorated with the award of Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus of Italy.
 * He was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE; 1938).

Political career
He was elected at the 1922 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Knutsford division of Cheshire, and held the seat until he retied from the House of Commons at the 1945 general election.

Family
He married Maria Florence Mellor (ca. 1877 — 11 August 1972) on 31 January 1903; they had three sons, two of whom predeceased their parents.

Children

 * Sir Roger Mellor Makins, 1st [[Baron Sherfield], KCMG (1904—1996)]
 * Guy Herbert Makins (5 July 1906—17 September 1923)
 * Major Geoffrey Henry Makins (19 October 1915—4 September 1944)


 * One of Sir Ernest Makins' grandsons, by his eldest son, was Christopher J. Makins (1942—2006), a British-American diplomat