649 John Whitwell

Constituency : Kendal  1868-80

John  took  over  from  George  Glyn  at  Kendal. He  was  unopposed.

John  was  educated  at  Quaker  schools. He  was  a  woollen  manufacturer  and  chairman  of  the  Kendal  Chamber  of  Commerce. He  was  mayor  of  the  town  six  times.

John  declared  himself  in  favour  of  retrenchment  and  national  education. He  was  also   interested  in  trade  unionism  and  in  1870  convened  a  body  of  elementary  school  teachers  to   feed  into  the  process  during  the   Education  Bill  debate  which  eventually  became  the  NUT.

He  did  in  1880  aged  68.