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Sir Charles Kimber

Sir Charles Kimber, former pub landlord and published author on the history of Oxfordshire County Council, has died aged 96.

Sir Charles was a founder member of the Federal Union in 1938, an organisation that campaigned for federalism for the UK, Europe and the world.

It argued that democracy and the rule of law should be applied between states as well as within them.

Born in Godstone, Surrey, in 1912, his grandfather was Henry Kimber, the first MP for Wandsworth.

Educated first at Eton, he later came to Oxford to study history at Balliol. In his time at college he gained his pilot's licence and was active in sport and politics.

He took part in the famous 1930s debate at the Oxford Union, where the house declared it would not fight for 'King and Country'.

True to this, Sir Charles registered as a conscientious objector during the war, and moved to Devon to set up a market garden.

In 1933 he got engaged to Ursula Bird, an MP's daughter, and together the couple went on to have three sons.

While canvassing in Devon he met Margaret Bonham, a writer, and after the war the pair moved to Oxford where they lived in a covered lifeboat at Port Meadow.

Sir Charles returned to his studies at Balliol, taking up a course in Social Anthropology.

In 1950, he married Miss Bonham. The couple had a son and a daughter, though by the early 1960s they had divorced.

Using his inheritance, Sir Charles bought a smallholding near Banbury.

Later he went on to become a pub landlord, taking charge of the Three Pigeons in Drayton St Leonard, near Wallingford, where he became a stalwart of village life.

In 1972 the county council commissioned him to write a history of the council, expecting him to complete the task in 18 months. Twelve years later he finally completed it.

A born adventurer, he also competed in the Monte Carlo rally as a private driver and even went sky diving on his 85th birthday.

Sir Charles passed away on April 10. He is survived by two sons from his first marriage and his daughter from his second marriage.

4:22pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

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