Humphrey (1988 - March 2006) was a Chat employed like hunter of mouse to the 10 Downing Street of October 1989 to the November 13rd 1997. Arrived in the places at the one year age, it was used under the mandates as Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, but was quickly put at the retirement after the arrival of Tony Blair.

Beginning of the activities

Humphrey, cat wandering, was discovered by one of the employees of the . It was named “Humphrey” in homage to Sir Humphrey Appleby, the high-civil servant machiavelic of the British series Yes, Minister . After the death of the preceding hunter of mouse, Wilberforce, in 1988, the Cabinet of the Prime Minister to number 10 needed a substitute and Humphrey took up duty.

With annually allocated expenses of £100 (paid by the budget of the Cabinet), of which primarily food, Humphrey was regarded as more qualified than the professional deratisor of the Cabinet, paid £4.000 per annum and who would never have caught mouse.

Frequently photographed posing in front of 10 Downing Street, the principal tasks of Humphrey consisted in driving out the mice and the rats in the surroundings of the house. Indeed, the poor quality of the houses of the surroundings and their outdatedness (some date from the 18th century) as well as the proximity of the St James' Park involved problems of undesirable animals.

During its stay in 10 Downing Street, a file of almost 120 pages was consisted the Cabinet Office where it was mentioned that Humphrey was true a Glutton for work, not having police records, not liking much to go towards the others or to leave and who never seems not to be implied in any scandal linked with the sex or drug. To the date of its retirement, Humphrey was devoted Dératiseur as a chief Cabinet.

Health issues of Humphrey

In November 1993, an internal memo circulated in the Cabinet in connection with problems of Rein S of Humphrey, and it was put at a special diet. It was interdict to give him to eat.

Humphrey was marked the June 7th 1994 of the murder of four robins, which were in a nest located near one of the windows of the office of John Major, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Major however discharged it from the charges as of the following day, informant “I think that Humphrey was marked wrongly. ” The documents that the Daily Telegraph had gotten spoke about libelous” and “completely unfounded” allegations “.

In June 1995, Humphrey disappeared. The September 25th 1995, the press service of the Prime Minister announced that it was supposed died. The publicity made around the business however made it possible to find it with the close relation Royal Army Medical College , where it had been collected, supposed wandering, and had been famous PC . To its return, one of the employees of the Cabinet gave an official statement to the press, supposed written by Humphrey, informant: “I spent marvellous holidays to the Royal Army Medical College , but is well to be of return to the house, ready to tackle the next parliamentary session. ”

Humphrey and Blair

Approximately a week after the installation of Tony Blair in 10 Downing Street, according to the general elections in the United Kingdom of 1997, the press brought back a dispute between Humphrey and Cherie Blair, the woman of the new Prime Minister. This one would have indeed been allergic to the cats or regarded their presence as not very hygienic.

Thus, of the consent of Tony Blair himself, Humphrey was at the origin of the largest political crisis than it had to manage at the time of its first year to the capacity. A spokesperson affima thus that Humphrey would not leave the places, asserting that Number 10 “is the house of Humphrey, and that in any assumption, it would remain it”. A photograph of Humphrey and Blair Darling was communicated to the press, but did not allow to dissipate feared and starting rumors of Humphrey of its house.

In November 1997, the employee reserved for the care of Humphrey, Jonathan Rees, which had worked for the unit of police force attached to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, wrote a memo to require that the cat be able to enjoy a retirement “in a stable domestic environment where one would take care of him”. Although the renal problems of the cat were called upon for this decision, many which is those thought that Chérie Blair was behind this decision.

Rumors of murder

Humphrey was taken along, with a couple of others reprocessed, in a new house in Banlieue of London the November 13rd 1997, but the removal was not announced before the following day to avoid removals or other spectacular actions. The Conservateurs immediately pointed out that Humphrey had lived happy with the Number 10 during eight years under the conservative governments, but évincé after six months of presence of the Labor .

The preserving member of Parliament Alan Clark worried about the health of Humphrey and expressed doubts as for his retirement. He wanted to make sure that he was always alive: “Humphrey is now a missing person. Except if it appears or appears in public, I fear that it was assassinated. ”, which maintained the rumor that Humphrey had been unobtrusive on order of Blair Darling.

The Cabinet of the Prime Minister reaffirmed that this retirement had been made on council of a veterinary surgeon, and the November 24th 1997, a group of journalists was taken along in a secret place held in the south of London, where they could realize that Humphrey was alive and went well. Images of the cat were taken, posing in front of a newspaper of the jour^, .

With the retirement

One heard little of Humphrey in the years which followed, which fed from the rumors of death. The Daily Telegraph made a at the beginning of 2005 request for for documents illuminant one day old new its presence in 10 Downing Street. In March 2005, in an article devoted to with Humphrey, the Telegraph deplored: “Where Humphrey is now - or even if it is always among us - remains a mystery. Its official confidant did not have a news of him in seven years”. However, the July 22nd 2005, The Independent reported that “the hunter of 17 year old mouse is alive and in good health, living the south of London. ”. It did not appear more details in this article, devoted to the various famous pets.

In March 2006, a spokesperson of Tony Blair announced “the tragic death of Humphrey earlier a few days, in the residence of the employee of the Cabinet which had lodged it”.

References

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