Thomas Calley


Thomas Charles Pleydell Calley was a British military officer and Liberal Unionist politician.

Military career

Calley was the son of Henry Calley, JP, DL, of Burderop Park, Wiltshire, and was educated at Harrow, and at Christ Church, Oxford.
He joined the 1st Life Guards in 1876, and served in Egypt 1882, where he took part in the Battle of Tel el-Kebir. In 1886, he was appointed captain, promoted to major in 1894, lieutenant-colonel in 1898, and a brevet colonel in November 1900 for service in the Second Boer War in South Africa 1899–1900.
After the war, he commanded the 1st Life Guards 1902–06, and served as Silver Stick in Waiting to King Edward VII during his coronation in August 1902. He was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in July 1901, and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1905. He went on to become a brigade commander of the London Mounted Brigade.
He was elected at the January 1910 general election as Member of Parliament for Cricklade, winning the seat from the sitting Liberal MP John Massie. However, at the general election in December 1910, he narrowly lost the seat to another Liberal candidate, and did not stand for Parliament again. He served as General Officer Commanding 60th Division from October 1914 to December 1915 during the First World War.

Family

Calley married, in 1883, Emily Chappell, daughter of T. D. Chappell, of Teddington. They had one daughter.