Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont, CB (30 May 1861 – 8 December 1902) was a British army officer, race-horse owner, yachtsman and Conservative party politician.
Contents
Life
He was the son of Hugh Barklie Blundell McCalmont, and was educated at Eton College before gaining a commission in the 6th Regiment of Foot in 1881. He subsequently transferred to the Scots Guards four years later.
In 1888, his millionaire great uncle, Hugh McCalmont died.
Under the conditions of his will, a trust fund was established paying Harry McCalmont 2,000 Pounds sterling a year for seven years, after which he would inherit the remainder of the estate. He used this income to purchase the Cheveley Park estate and stud farm near Newmarket from the Duke of Rutland. There he established a successful stable of racehorses. Among his horses were Timothy, a winner of the Ascot Gold Cup and Alexandra Plate and Isinglass winner of The Derby, St. Leger Stakes and Epsom Gold Cup. He retired from the regular army in 1889, joining the part-time 6th (2nd Warwickshire Militia) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, being promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in command on 8 March 1898. He was a keen yachtsman and member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He commissioned the building of Tarantula, the first turbine-powered steam yacht in the World.
He also commissioned SY Banshee and the 1265 ton SY Geralda (1894, one of the first steam yachts to exceed 1000 tons) built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company.
In 1895 a general election was called, and McCalmont was selected as Conservative candidate for the Newmarket constituency, then held by the Liberals. He was successful, unseating the sitting Member of Parliament, Sir George Newnes.