Constituency : Leeds 1868-76
Robert won the new third seat for Leeds.
Robert was a self-made coal merchant and cloth finisher who started out as an agricultural labourer. He became involved with Leeds's Co-Operative Board. He was elected to the city council in 1850 as a Chartist.He was president of the Leeds Radical Reform League. He was a Unitarian. In 1857 he founded the radical Leeds Express with W E Forster.
In 1874 Robert headed the poll when Edward Baines was squeezed out. He put it down to the fact that he was stronger in support of Sir Wilfrid Lawson's attempts to allow localities to ban alcohol, an issue that came up during the campaign as there was a temperance candidate in the field.
Robert supported legal protection of trade union funds. He also supported disestablishment of the church.
The Leeds Mercury said of Robert : "You have only to see and hear him to be satisfied that he is a genuine working man ....He does not pretend to polish and refinement; but he has a good deal of rough intellectual vigour, and considerable power of expression".
Robert resigned his seat in 1876. Having been involved in a disastrous speculation regarding a Staffordshire colliery he had to leave for New York in a hurry and filed for liquidation. He was back by 1880 supporting Herbert Gladstone's campaign in Leeds.
He died in 1882 aged 68.
No comments:
Post a Comment