Richard Stokes

Major Richard Rapier Stokes MC and bar (27 January 1897 – 3 August 1957) was a British soldier and Labour politician who served briefly as Lord Privy Seal in 1951.

The second son of Philip Folliott Stokes and his wife born Mary Fenwick Rapier the only surviving child of Richard Christopher Rapier (1836-1897) of Ransomes & Rapier Richard Stokes was educated at Downside School, the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and Trinity College, Cambridge. He served in the Royal Artillery during World War I, winning the Military Cross and bar and the Croix de Guerre. His uncle Sir Wilfred Stokes, chairman and managing director of the engineering firm Ransomes & Rapier invented the Stokes Mortar in World War I. His uncle Leonard Stokes was an architect who designed the new buildings at Downside School (built 1912, when Richard was at Downside). Richard Stokes was chairman and supporter of the School of Economic Science.

On going down from Cambridge he joined his family's business, Ransomes & Rapier, and was made managing director at the age of 30. When rearmament was proposed by the National Government Stokes offered to charge the nation cost price for all his firm's rearmament work. It was rejected by the National Government and shortly afterwards he joined the Labour Party. Though he held office under Labour governments he was said to have remained a backbencher at heart.

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