Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn
A Conservative peer who drilled teeth by day and debated in the Lords by night, embodying an era of part-time, patrician politics.
1942–2024 (age 82)·British peer, dentist and politician·Birthday: January 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Anthony Hamilton-Smith, the 3rd Baron Colwyn, led a dual life that seemed plucked from a different century. He inherited his title in 1966 but maintained a successful career as a dental surgeon with a practice in London's Harley Street. This practical medical background informed his political work, where he became a respected voice on health issues in the House of Lords. A committed Conservative, he served as a party whip and vice-chairman, known for his genial and unpretentious manner. His career spanned decades of change in British politics, yet he remained a figure of quiet, steady service, bridging the worlds of professional medicine and hereditary privilege until his retirement from the Lords in 2021.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Anthony was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2024Died at 82
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Served as a Conservative whip and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords.
- Had a long career as a practicing dental surgeon, maintaining his clinic while performing parliamentary duties.
- Sat on the board of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, contributing his medical expertise to health governance.
- Served as a Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords from 2002 to 2021.
Did You Know?
He was a talented jazz trombonist and played professionally with the Johnny Howard Band in the 1960s.
His title, Baron Colwyn, refers to the River Colwyn in Wales.
He was one of the last hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords following the 1999 reforms.
He served as the President of the British Dental Association from 1989 to 1990.
“A healthy mouth is the foundation of a healthy society, and good policy is preventative care.”
