John Peto (politician)

Peto was born 13 December 1900 at Chertsey, Surrey the son of Sir Basil Peto a former Member of Parliament.[2] Peto was educated at Harrow College and St John's College, Cambridge reading history and political economy.[2]

In 1924 Peto was commissioned in the Royal Artillery, two years later he transferred to the King's Dragoon Guards.[2] In 1929 he was appointed as ADC to the Governor of Bombay and from 1932 to 1935 he served in India.[2] Peto retired in 1939 but with the start of the second world war in 1939 Peto rejoined the Army.[2]

As a founder member of the Cambridge University Conservative Association and his father being a Member of Parliament he always had an interest in politics and in 1941 Peto was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham King's Norton at a by-election in May 1941 following the death of the sitting MP Ronald Cartland.[2][3] From 1941 to 1945 Peto was a parliamentary private secretary to Geoffrey Lloyd chairman of the Oil Control Board.[2] Peto stood again at the 1945 general election but was defeated by the Labour Party candidate, Raymond Blackburn.[3]

Peto had married Patricia Geraldine Browne in 1934 and they had a son and three daughters.[2] On 3 February 1954 Peto was found shot dead in the garden of his home in Witley, Surrey with the gun beside him.[2] It was concluded that Peto who regularly shot in his gardens had slipped on ice and shot himself.[4]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Basil Peto