Hugh Henry Gough

General Sir Hugh Henry Gough VC GCB (/ˈɡɒf/; 14 November 1833 – 12 May 1909), was born into an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family in Calcutta, Bengal, India, and was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Gough was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry (later 19th Hussars) during the Indian Mutiny, when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the VC:

Date of Acts of Bravery, 12th November, 1857, and 25th February, 1858

Lieutenant Gough, when in command of a party of Hodson's Horse, near Alumbagh, on the 12th of November, 1857, particularly distinguished himself by his forward bearing in charging across a swamp, and capturing two guns, although defended by a vastly superior body of the enemy. On this occasion he had his horse wounded in two places, and his turban cut through by sword cuts, whilst engaged in combat with three Sepoys.

Hugh Henry

Hugh Henry (born 12 February 1952 in Glasgow) is a Scottish Labour politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Renfrewshire South since 2011 (having represented Paisley South from 1999 to 2011).

Background

He was raised in Erskine, Renfrewshire and educated at St Mirin's Academy in Paisley, at the University of Glasgow and at Jordanhill College of Education in Glasgow. He has worked as an accountant with IBM UK Ltd, as a teacher and as a welfare rights officer with Strathclyde Regional Council. He was a local councillor from 1984 until 1999, including 4 years as leader of Renfrewshire Council. A former Marxist, he was once a supporter of the Militant tendency.

He is married with two daughters and one son.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

He was appointed Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care in the Scottish Executive in 2001, and moved to become Deputy Minister for Social Justice in 2002. He was appointed Deputy Minister for Justice after the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 2003, and became Minister for Education in 2006. He retained the education brief in opposition after the 2007 election. Henry was named Scottish Politician of the Year in 2010, for his performance as Convenor of the Public Affairs Committee. On 11 May 2011, Henry stood in the election for the 4th Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, coming second to Tricia Marwick, a Scottish National Party MSP.