1406 Alexander Henderson

Constituency : West  Staffordshire  1898-1906  ( Liberal  Unionist  ),  St  George's  Hanover  Square  1913-6  ( Conservative  )

Alexander  retained  West   Staffordshire  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  following  the  death  of  Hamar  Bass.

Alexander  was  born  in  Scotland, the  son  of  a  classics  professor  and  started  his  career  in  the  City  of  London  as  an  accountant  with  Deloitte's  before  becoming  a  stockbroker. He  specialised  in  financing  railways. He  was  chairman  of  the  Great  Central  Railway  from  1899  to  1922  and  then  deputy  chair  of  successor  company the  LNER  from  1923  to  1934. Actual  engines  were  named  after  Alexander  and  his  wife . He  was  a  major  shareholder  in  the  Manchester  Ship  Canal. He  was  involved  in  port  development  and  telecommunications  in  a  number  of  countries.

Alexander  was  created  a  baronet  in  1902. He  supported  Chamberlain  on  tariff  reform  and  acquired  control  of  The  Standard  to  promote  the  cause.

Alexander  was  defeated  in  1906. He  returned  as  a  Conservative  in  1913  the  year  after  the  Liberal  Unionists  were  subsumed  in  the  Tory  party.

In  1916  Alexander  was  created  Baron  Faringdon. He  was  vice-chairman  of  the  Shipping  Control  Committee  during  the  war.

Alexander  had  a  large  estate  in  Berkshire  and  made  improvements  to  pedigree  stock.

He  died  in  1934  aged  83. Investment  companies  were  set  up  to  administer  his  estate  after  his  death.