Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

ways of ensuring it was to have good and healthy homes. It was fortunate that women were having the vote now when these things were being considered. Women were the home-makers and they were the people who knew what things ought to be like. He added that he was in favour of immediate housing reform. Despite large attendances at the various meetings, there was apathy on polling day itself, 14 December, and fewer voters were seen in East Norfolk than in neighbouring constituencies. Captain Falcon set out early on a motor tour of as much of the division as time permitted. The count, which was conducted in the Norwich Shirehall, did not take place until 28 December, with Gerald Blake – once Norfolk’s wicket-keeper – officiating as acting deputy returning officer. The results were as follows: Captain M.Falcon (Coalition Unionist) 7,030 F.Henderson (Independent Coalition) 6,691 W.B.Taylor (Agriculture and Labour) 1,926 Majority 339 Thus Captain Falcon was narrowly elected to serve as MP for Norfolk East. He thanked the returning officer and declared that it was a most pleasant and friendly contest. This feeling was echoed by the other two candidates: there was no evidence of any hard feelings from Mr Henderson on being pre-empted as the official Coalition candidate. For the first part of his political career, Captain Falcon combined his Parliamentary duties with work at the bar, where he had chambers at 3 Essex Court in the Temple. In the House, Falcon’s attention was largely taken up by rural problems, which continued to occupy him for the whole of his time as an MP. When the prime minister, Bonar Law, announced that the government was to appoint a Commission to look into agriculture, Falcon and numerous other interested parties in Norfolk readied themselves to give evidence to the new body. At Westminster 45 Michael Falcon practised as a barrister from these chambers at 3 Essex Court, Temple in the twenties.