Percy Malcolm Stewart

Who was Percy Malcolm Stewart?

Sir Percy Malcolm Stewart, 1st Baronet, was an English industrialist and philanthropist.

Stewart was born at St Leonards, Sussex, sixth of eight children of Halley Stewart. He entered his father's business in 1891. The cement business in which the family was interested - B. J. Forder & Son Ltd - became part of the British Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd in 1912, and Stewart became a managing director. He had remained managing director of the brick division of B. J. Forder & Son until it was amalgamated into The London Brick Company in 1923, and Stewart became chairman of its board. He became chairman of the board of the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd. in 1924 and remained in that position until 1945 when he became company president. He was thus chairman of the two of the largest monopolistic companies in British industry.

Sir Percy Malcolm Stewart and his father, Sir Halley Stewart, believed in good working and living conditions for employees. They developed the model village of Stewartby in Bedfordshire from 1926 onwards. As a special commissioner appointed by Ramsay MacDonald's Labour government of 1934, he helped devise schemes to reduce unemployment.