585 George Melly

Constituency : Stoke-upon-Trent  1868-75

George  chalked  up  another  gain  for  the  Liberals  when  the  Tory  MP  quit  their  seat  to  contest  ( and  fortunately  for  him, win )  another  by-election  at  Cambridge  University.

George  was  a  Unitarian  merchant  and  shipowner  from  Manchester. He  was  educated  at  Rugby. He was  a  member  of  the  Mersey  Docks  and  Harbour  Board  and  a  director  of  a  marine  insurance company. He  authored  a  number  of  books  including  School  Experiences  of  a  Fag  and  some political pamphlets. He  contested  Preston  in  a  by-election  in  1862  and  Stoke  in  1865. He  was  a major  in  the  Volunteer  movement  and  hoped  it  would  train  people  into  habits  of  self-government. He  was  a  keen  sportsman.

In  1869  George  moved  a  motion  for  a  select  committee  on  Education  which  was  opposed  by Henry  Fawcett  who  thought  the  case  for  a  large  measure  was  already  established.

George  resigned  his  seat  in  1875  through  ill  health  and   a  need  to  devote  more  time to  his  businesses . The  seat  went  to  an  antiparty  radical  in  the  by-election.

He  died  in  1894  aged  63. He  was  the  great  grandfather  of  the  jazz  singer  George  Melly.