1274 Joseph Leigh

Constituency : Stockport  1892-5, 1900-06

Joseph  clawed  one  of  the  Stockport  seats  back  from  the  Tories.

Joseph  was  the  son  of  a  cotton  spinning  entrepreneur. He  was  educated  at  Stockport  Grammar  School. He  took  over  the  running  of  the  family  business  early  due  to  the  ill  health  of  his  father. He  served  as  an  alderman  on  Sockport  Borough  Council  and  was  Mayor  on  four  occasions.  He  was  a  director  of  the  Manchester  Ship  Canal   from  its  inception and  vice-chair  of  an  insurance  company. Joseph  stood  unsuccessfully  in  1885  and  1886. He  was  a  Nonconformist.

Joseph  was  knighted  in  1894  when  the  Ship  Canal  opened  for  business. He  was  defeated  in 1895  but  topped  the  poll  in  1900.

In  1897  Sir  Joseph  contributed  £3,500  towards  the  foundation  of  Stockport  Technical  School.
He  stood  down  in  1906  and  died  two  years  later  aged  67.