741 Nathaniel Buckley

Constituency :  Stalybridge  1871-4

Nathaniel  chalked  up  the  last  Liberal  gain  during  Gladstone's  first  ministry  when  he  took Stalybridge  from  the  Tories. The  local  Liberals  originally  selected  Edward  Stanley  as  their candidate  for  the  by-election  despite  Nathaniel  contesting  the  seat  in  1868  but  were  prevailed upon  by  their  working  class  supporters  to  re-adopt  Nathaniel instead. He  won  by  208  votes.

Nathaniel  was  a  millionaire  cotton  millowner. In  1873  he  bought  an  estate  in  Ireland  and  after  a  revaluation  sent  out  rent  notices  with  increases  of  50-500%. There  were  evictions  and  an  assassination attempt  on  his  bailiff. His  actions  exposed  weaknesses  in  the  first  Irish  Land  Act.

Nathaniel  did  not  speak  in  the  Commons.

Nathaniel  had  the  Reform  Club  in  Dukinfield  built.

Nathaniel  was  defeated  in  1874. His  nephew  Abel  was  elected  MP  for  Prestwich  in  1885.

He  died  in  1892  aged  71.