Councillor Doctor Leonard Smalley MBE MB BS Lond MRCS Eng Chairman Kenilworth Urban District Council
The Man Leonard Smalley was born on Sunday 6th February 1897 at 61 Harrington Street, Draycott, Derbyshire, son of Alfred, a Coal Merchant and Mary Elizabeth nee Harrison. He had one older brother Alfred Henry born in 1894 and was Baptised on 29th March 1897 at St Thomas’, Derby. The 1901 census shows the family living at the same address together with a servant Ellen Sibert.
By 1911 the family had moved to The Court, Alvaston, West Derby, together with Mary’s father David Harrison, a retired Farmer. Leonard aged 14 was still at school.
At the outbreak of world War I in 1914 Leonard was aged 17 and likely to have served in some capacity in the armed forces, however no service can be confirmed. He did however become a medical student and the census of 1921 shows him as a Boarder of Miss Gemmell, 17 Montague Street, London and working at St Thomas’s Hospital, qualifying the same year as a physician and surgeon. Whilst in London he also formed an admiration for the work of the Salvation Army.
On Tuesday 15th June 1926 Leonard married Claire Harbord Newton in the Parish Church of Boulton, Derbyshire and moved to Kenilworth, Warwickshire, where he set up his practice Smalley, Harper and Harper and lived at Stockcroft, 53 Malthouse Lane. They had two children, Elizabeth Pamela born in 1928 and who sadly died aged just 13 on 19th January 1942. Reginald Leonard Murray was born in 1932, but he too was tragically taken young aged 29 on 9th August 1961 when, as the First Officer on a Cunard Eagle Airways Flight it crashed into a mountain on a charter flight to Norway, he was killed with all on board.
In 1934 Leonard was elected to the Kenilworth Urban District Council (UDC) and the 1939 Register shows him, now aged 42 and Claire living at Stockcroft and he listed as a Medical Practitioner. He was elected as Chairman of the UDC for four municipal years, 1940-42 and on Tuesday 21st May 1957-59 and Vice-Chairman for six, for which he was awarded his Past Chairmans Jewel.
By 1911 the family had moved to The Court, Alvaston, West Derby, together with Mary’s father David Harrison, a retired Farmer. Leonard aged 14 was still at school.
At the outbreak of world War I in 1914 Leonard was aged 17 and likely to have served in some capacity in the armed forces, however no service can be confirmed. He did however become a medical student and the census of 1921 shows him as a Boarder of Miss Gemmell, 17 Montague Street, London and working at St Thomas’s Hospital, qualifying the same year as a physician and surgeon. Whilst in London he also formed an admiration for the work of the Salvation Army.
On Tuesday 15th June 1926 Leonard married Claire Harbord Newton in the Parish Church of Boulton, Derbyshire and moved to Kenilworth, Warwickshire, where he set up his practice Smalley, Harper and Harper and lived at Stockcroft, 53 Malthouse Lane. They had two children, Elizabeth Pamela born in 1928 and who sadly died aged just 13 on 19th January 1942. Reginald Leonard Murray was born in 1932, but he too was tragically taken young aged 29 on 9th August 1961 when, as the First Officer on a Cunard Eagle Airways Flight it crashed into a mountain on a charter flight to Norway, he was killed with all on board.
In 1934 Leonard was elected to the Kenilworth Urban District Council (UDC) and the 1939 Register shows him, now aged 42 and Claire living at Stockcroft and he listed as a Medical Practitioner. He was elected as Chairman of the UDC for four municipal years, 1940-42 and on Tuesday 21st May 1957-59 and Vice-Chairman for six, for which he was awarded his Past Chairmans Jewel.
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Past Chairman of Kenilworth Urban District Council Jewel.
Leonard was closely involved in public affairs and Chairman of the South Warwickshire Water Board for eight years, he was also a member of the South Warwickshire Hospital Group, receiving in 1956 a long service award, and on the Warwickshire Executive Health Council. He was also a Justice of the Peace and President of the Kenilworth Carnival Association.
Leonard became ‘The Father’ of Kenilworth UDC as its longest serving member and on 17th November 1958, the 400th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, in a formal ceremony was handed the deeds to Kenilworth Castle by the Right Honourable Cyril Davenport, Baron Kenilworth CBE TD who had given the castle and grounds to the people of Kenilworth. In 1967 a stretch of Borrowell Lane and Barrowfields Lane, was named Smalley Place in his honour, now the home of Kenilworth Town Council.
In the Birthday Honours List of 1972, Leonard was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to the UDC. He attended Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 5th December 1972 together with his wife and Granddaughter Karen, to receive the award from Her Majesty.
On Wednesday 4th July he was re-elected as Chairman of south Warwickshire Water Board at their AGM. Leonard sadly passed away whilst still serving as a Councillor on 21st March 1974 in Warwick Hospital following an emergency operation, he was 76. His funeral was held at St Nicholas Church at 1230h on 26th March and he was buried together with his daughter and son in Kenilworth Cemetery, Oaks Road.
The Chairman of Kenilworth UDC, Kenneth Hogarth described Leonard as ‘Quiet and mild in manner, but shrewd’. He also claimed Leonard would be ‘missed throughout the town’.
On the same evening of Leonard’s funeral, Kenilworth Urban District Council which had been in existence since 1895, met for the last time at the castle gatehouse, as it was dissolved on 1st April as part of the 1974 Local Government reorganisation and combined with Leamington and Warwick Borough Councils to form the Warwick District Council. Kenilworth also gained a Town Council and as such subsequently elected a Mayor. At the final meeting a minute’s silence was held for Leonard. The short stretch of road between the town clock and Barrowfield Lane, along which, Jubilee House stands (the home of the present Town Council), was named in his memory.
Claire lived a further 14 years and passed away 23rd April 1988, she too was buried with Leonard and their children.
Leonard became ‘The Father’ of Kenilworth UDC as its longest serving member and on 17th November 1958, the 400th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, in a formal ceremony was handed the deeds to Kenilworth Castle by the Right Honourable Cyril Davenport, Baron Kenilworth CBE TD who had given the castle and grounds to the people of Kenilworth. In 1967 a stretch of Borrowell Lane and Barrowfields Lane, was named Smalley Place in his honour, now the home of Kenilworth Town Council.
In the Birthday Honours List of 1972, Leonard was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to the UDC. He attended Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 5th December 1972 together with his wife and Granddaughter Karen, to receive the award from Her Majesty.
On Wednesday 4th July he was re-elected as Chairman of south Warwickshire Water Board at their AGM. Leonard sadly passed away whilst still serving as a Councillor on 21st March 1974 in Warwick Hospital following an emergency operation, he was 76. His funeral was held at St Nicholas Church at 1230h on 26th March and he was buried together with his daughter and son in Kenilworth Cemetery, Oaks Road.
The Chairman of Kenilworth UDC, Kenneth Hogarth described Leonard as ‘Quiet and mild in manner, but shrewd’. He also claimed Leonard would be ‘missed throughout the town’.
On the same evening of Leonard’s funeral, Kenilworth Urban District Council which had been in existence since 1895, met for the last time at the castle gatehouse, as it was dissolved on 1st April as part of the 1974 Local Government reorganisation and combined with Leamington and Warwick Borough Councils to form the Warwick District Council. Kenilworth also gained a Town Council and as such subsequently elected a Mayor. At the final meeting a minute’s silence was held for Leonard. The short stretch of road between the town clock and Barrowfield Lane, along which, Jubilee House stands (the home of the present Town Council), was named in his memory.
Claire lived a further 14 years and passed away 23rd April 1988, she too was buried with Leonard and their children.
Kenilworth Urban District Council year unknown.
The Story The Past Chairman’s Jewel and MBE awarded to Leonard Smalley were acquired as buy it now from E-Bay on 27th August 2025 whilst on a bus journey in Thailand and following some random searching.
The jewel was of immediate interest for several reasons, Kenilworth is a neighbouring town to Royal Leamington Spa and part of Warwick District Council. Past Mayors and Chairmen of Councils are a sub-theme of this collection and the current Mayor of Kenilworth’s chain of office had only been admired some weeks earlier and the former UDC discussed at the time.
As is often the case with Past Mayors and Chairmen, Ancestry, Google, Newspaper Archives and wills all helped piece together a detailed biography. As often happens with research, an interesting side story was revealed, the tragic demise of Leonard’s son, Reginald Leonard Murray Smallwood who as the first officer on a Cunard Eagle Airways Flight was killed when it crashed into a mountain on a charter flight to Norway on 9th August 1961. All 39 people on board died, including 34 schoolboys and two teachers from Lanfranc Secondary Modern School – this being a story in its own right.
On 20th November 2025, Kenilworth was visited and photographs taken of his home, now named ‘Smalley House, Smalley Place, where a gatehouse stone bearing the Urban District Council crest was also found and his Grave. Sadly however, his headstone is damaged although still readable.
An interesting acquisition awarded to a devoted and long serving ‘local’ Doctor and Councillor and who sadly lost both of his children very young.
The jewel was of immediate interest for several reasons, Kenilworth is a neighbouring town to Royal Leamington Spa and part of Warwick District Council. Past Mayors and Chairmen of Councils are a sub-theme of this collection and the current Mayor of Kenilworth’s chain of office had only been admired some weeks earlier and the former UDC discussed at the time.
As is often the case with Past Mayors and Chairmen, Ancestry, Google, Newspaper Archives and wills all helped piece together a detailed biography. As often happens with research, an interesting side story was revealed, the tragic demise of Leonard’s son, Reginald Leonard Murray Smallwood who as the first officer on a Cunard Eagle Airways Flight was killed when it crashed into a mountain on a charter flight to Norway on 9th August 1961. All 39 people on board died, including 34 schoolboys and two teachers from Lanfranc Secondary Modern School – this being a story in its own right.
On 20th November 2025, Kenilworth was visited and photographs taken of his home, now named ‘Smalley House, Smalley Place, where a gatehouse stone bearing the Urban District Council crest was also found and his Grave. Sadly however, his headstone is damaged although still readable.
An interesting acquisition awarded to a devoted and long serving ‘local’ Doctor and Councillor and who sadly lost both of his children very young.
Leonard and Claire Smalley with their Granddaughter Karen
At Buckingham Palace 5th December 1972 having been awarded his
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty
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Smalley House, 53 Malthouse Lane, Kenilworth.
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Smalley Place and former Urban District Council Gatestone, Jubilee House home of Kenilworth Town Council
Kenilworth Castle
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Leonard Smalley;s family Grave, Kenilworth Cemetery, Oaks Road.
Medal Details:
- Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: Unnamed as awarded.
- Past Chairmn Jewel: LEONARD SMALLEY M.B. B.S.
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