782 Thomas Richardson

Constituency : Hartlepool  1874-5, 1880-90 ( from  1886  Liberal  Unionist )

Thomas  took  Hartlepool  from  the  Tories  after  failing  in  his  first  attempt  in  1868.

Thomas  was  a  Hartlepool  shipowner's  son  who  began  work   in  his  father's  iron  foundry  as  an  apprentice. He  and  his  brother  took  over  the  family  business  when  their  father  died  in  1850. They  mainly  built  marine  engines.

Thomas  gave  rather  lukewarm  support  to  Plimsoll   on  load  lines  after  his  son  got  involved  in  the  campaign.

Thomas  felt  obliged  to  resign  his  seat  in  1875  for  financial  reasons  but  reclaimed  it  in  1880. In  1886  he  joined  the  Liberal  Unionists  and  retained  his  seat.

He  died  in  1890  aged  69.