Lt-Col then, Colonel Sir Percy Reginald Owen Abel Simner DSO (1878-11 January 1963) was a barrister, Territorial Army officer and politician.
The only son of Abel Simner, an architect and surveyor from Merionethshire and Sarah Magaretta née Owen, he was born in Peckham Rye.
He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1903. In 1922 he was appointed as a Master of the Supreme Court and in 1947 became Senior Master. He was knighted in the same year.
During the First World War he received a commission and rose to be a commanding officer of a battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1916. From 1921-27 he was commanding officer of the 10th London Regiment. From 1927-31 he commanded the 168th (2nd London) Brigade. From 1934-48 he was honorary colonel of the 5th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was County Commandant of Army Cadets for the County of London from 1932-46.
Active in local politics, he was a member of Westminster City Council from 1906-22 and a Municipal Reform Party Member of the London County Council representing Woolwich West from 1919-22. In 1910 he stood as Conservative Party candidate for the Gower constituency in Glamorganshire at the General Election held in January 1910 but was heavily defeated by his Labour Party opponent.
Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers 1951.
Established the Old Pocklingtonian Association (OPA) [1]
Entry in Who’s Who; portraits in the National Portrait Gallery [2]