John Sanctuary Nicholson

Who was John Sanctuary Nicholson?

Brigadier-General John Sanctuary Nicholson, CB, CMG, CBE, DSO was a British soldier and politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1921 to 1924.

Born in Kensington, London, the son of William Nicholson and his wife Isabella. He was educated at Harrow and then in 1882 to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He was commissioned in 7th Hussars in February 1884 and in 1886 he spent eight years in India with his regiment before in 1894 being sent to Natal.

The 7th Hussars joined a force at Mafeking to suppress a native rising in Matabeleland. During these operations he raised and commanded a Corps of British South Africa Police. He became Commandant-General of the BSAP and Inspector-General of Volunteers in Rhodesia from 1898 until 1903. In 1903 he succeeded Baden-Powell as Inspector-General of South African Constabulary and retired from the post as a Colonel in 1907.

With a father and brother both being members of parliament Nicholson contested a seat in East Dorset in the 1910 general election. He lost by 426 votes to Captain Guest but after a petition Guest was unseated. Nicholson stood again as a Conservative candidate in a by-election against Guests brother Henry Guest but was defeated again by a small margin. In the second general election of 1910 in December, he tried to get elected at Stafford but was defeated by 755 votes.