Elusive Facts About John Stonehouse, The Vanishing Man
John Stonehouse was a British Member of Parliament—or Czech spy—who faked his own disappearance. His reemergence, however, was even more scandalous.
1. He Was A Mystery Man
When the British Member of Parliament, John Thomson Stonehouse, vanished into thin air in 1974, he caused a scandal unlike any other. But when he reemerged a short time later, he left everyone wondering whether they ever really knew him at all.
Had he just suffered a psychotic break? Or was he, indeed, a Czechoslovakian spy and con artist extraordinaire?
2. He Was Ambitious—And Amoral
John Stonehouse was the youngest of four children born to William Mitchell Stonehouse and Rosina Marie. Right out of the gate (or the womb) he found himself traveling in powerful political circles. His mother, who had worked her way up from scullery maid, was mayor of Southampton. He inherited her love for politics, but not her honest work ethic.
3. He Wanted…Something?
John Stonehouse always wanted fame. Or power. Or money. Or excitement. Actually, no one really knows what he wanted but it was obvious from the beginning that he wanted something—and he didn’t really care how he got it. One of his classmates at the London School of Economics recounted some disturbing facts from his early years.
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4. He Always Dreamed Of Being In Parliament
Sir Bernard Crick, a prominent political scientist, attended LSE as one of Stonehouse’s classmates. He recalled that Stonehouse seemed to have a preoccupation with gaining political office. As Crick recalled, “his [Stonehouse’s] conversation was openly and restlessly about how best to get a parliamentary seat”. He was almost suspiciously obsessed with it.
