Charles Rudkin

Rudkin was born in County Louth in 1872, the son of Major H W Rudkin. His family is said to have come from Corries in County Carlow.[2] He remained single until late in life when, on 29 September 1939, aged 66, at Ninfield Church in Sussex, he married Marie [3] the daughter of Thomas Russell from Ascog in Argyll and Bute a Deputy Lieutenant of Bute.[4]

Rudkin first stood for Parliament as Liberal candidate in Chichester at the 1923 general election defeating the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament, Sir William Bird. However, he was unable to hold the seat at the 1924 general election losing to the new Tory candidate John Sewell Courtauld. Rudkin did not fight Chichester again in 1929 switching to the nearby seat of Portsmouth South. In a four-cornered contest however, Rudkin could only come bottom of the poll, despite 1929 seeing a modest Liberal revival nationally. He did not contest a Parliamentary seat again.[6]

Rudkin was an enthusiastic traveller. He visited and shot in Africa, Australia, India, and Canada. Rudkin travelled in America, New Zealand, Tasmania, China, Burma, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, Hawaii, Ceylon and extensively in Europe, including Russia. He travelled twice round the world. In 1921, still very much the early days of aviation, he undertook a flight over the Alps in the company of the French pilot Marcel Nappez, rising to a height of more than 10,000 feet.[7]

Rudkin took a keen interest in the development of agriculture and took it upon himself to learn about progress in the industry by visiting a number of foreign and Commonwealth countries including Holland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, France, Canada, America, Australia, and New Zealand where he educated himself by observation and inspection of farming techniques.[4]

Rudkin was made a Freeman of the City of London and was a member of the Royal Academy.[4]

Rudkin died at his home in Umtali in what was then known as Southern Rhodesia on 30 December 1957 aged 85 years.[5]