1457 Corrie Grant

Constituency :  Rugby  1900-10

Corrie  recaptured  Rugby  from  the  Tories.

Corrie  was  the  son  of  a  Nonconformist  brewer  who  had  gone  to  prison  for  non-payment  of  church  rates. He  was  educated  at  the  City  of  London  School  and  became  first  a  journalist  and  then  a  barrister. Corrie  was  something  of  a  perennial  candidate, standing  at  Woodstock  at  a  by-election  in  1885, Birmingham  West  ( 1892 ), Rugby  ( 1895 )  and  Harrow  ( 1899 ).

Corrie  feared  that  Campbell-Bannerman  might  be  an  indolent P.M.  but  was  soon  describing  him  to  C.P. Scott  as  "  the  first  Radical  premier  we  have  ever  had."

Corrie  was  chairman  of  the  Police  and  Sanitary  Parliamentary  Committee  in  1907.

Corrie  was  a  frequent  speaker  on  a  number  of  topics.

Corrie  stood  down  in  January  1910.

He  died  in  1924  aged  74.

1456 Sir Alfred Haslam

Constituency : Newcastle-under-Lyme  1900-06  ( Liberal  Unionist )

Alfred  unseated  William  Allen  by  182  votes  in  this  usually  tight  seat.

Alfred  was  the  son  of  an  iron-founder. He  trained  as  an  engineer  and  ran  the  family  business  after  his  father  retired  in  1873. He  was  a  councillor  in   Derby  from  1879  and  Mayor  in  1890-91. During  his  mayoral  term,  he  oversaw  the  replacement  of  the  town's  hospital  by  Derbyshire  Royal  Infirmary and  was  knighted  by  Queen  Victoria  when  she  came  to  open  it.  He  showed  his  gratitude  by  erecting  a  number  of  statues  to  her  in  different  towns. In  1894  he  took  out  a  patent  for  refrigeration  using  compressed  ammonia  and  made  a  fortune  from  monopolising  marine  meat  refrigeration. Alfred  was  originally  a  Baptist  but  became  an  Anglican.

Alfred's  only  speech  in  Parliament  was  in  defence  of  Chamberlain's  protectionist  ideas  in  1904.

Alfred  was  mayor  of  Newcastle  three  times.

Sir  Alfred  was  decisively  defeated  in  1906.

He  died  in  1927  aged  82.

1455 Arthur Markham

Constituency  : Mansfield  1900-16

Arthur  took  over  from  John  Williams  at  Mansfield.

Arthur'  father  was  part  owner  of  the  family  colliery. Arthur  was  grandson  of  Joseph  Paxton  on  his  mother's  side. He  was  educated  at  Rugby. Arthur  had  interests  in  many  other  mining  companies.

Arthur  opposed  female  working  at  collieries.

Arthur  was  created  a  baronet  in  1911.

Arthur  supported Britain's  entry  into  the  war  saying  that  if  Britain  stayed  neutral, "no  self-respecting  people  on  the  continent  will  ever believe  that  we, who  have  stood  for  liberty  in  the  past, will  stand  for  it  again." Arthur  made  his  house  in  Folkestone  available  for  overseas  officers  during  World  War  One. On  the  other  hand  he  campaigned   hard  against  the  recruitment  of  under-aged  soldiers. He  declared  "There  has  been  fraud, deceit  and  lying  practiced  by  the  War  Office".

In 19165  Arthur  accused  Asquith  of  lying  about  the  shell  shortage.

He  died  of  a  stroke  in  1916 ,  after  having  ignored  medical  advice  to  take  it  easy,  aged  49. His  sister  Violet  stood  for  the  Liberals  in  1918  but  came  third.

1454 Maurice Levy

Constituency : Loughborough  1900-18

Maurice  took  over  from  Edward  Johnson-Ferguson  at  Loughborough.

Maurice  was from  Leicester. he  was  educated at  London  University. He  was  managing  director  of  a  wholesale  and  manufacturing  company. He  also  had  interests  in  banking. He  was  Jewish.

Maurice  opposed  the  1905  Aliens  Act  which  sought  to  restrict  Jewish  immigration  from  Eastern  Europe.

Maurice  was  knighted  in  1907  and  created  a  baronet  in  1913. He  became  a  junior  whip.

Maurice  opposed  female  suffrage in  1908  on  the  grounds  that  it  would  lead  to  women  wanting  seats  in  Parliament.

In  1913  Maurice  used  an  overheard  conversation  with  Ramsay  McDonald  in  a  by-election  campaign  at  Leicester  to  undermine  the  ILP  candidate  and  ease  the  passage  of  the  Liberal  to  victory.

In  1916  Maurice  was  sued  by  a  naval  lieutenant  for  suggesting  he  was  a  German  spy.

Maurice  worked  for  Lloyd  George  in  the  Ministry  of  Munitions. He  was  also  part  of  a  special  trade  mission  to  Ireland. Despite  his  own  religion  he  bought  a  pupit  for  a  Methodist  chapel  due  to  be  visited  by  Lloyd  George.

Maurice  stood  down  in  1918.

He  died  in  1933  aged 74.

1453 Percy Clive

Constituency : Ross  1900-06, 1908-12  ( Liberal  Unionist ), 1912-18  ( Conservative )

Percy  took  over  from  Michael  Biddulph  for  the  Liberal  Unionists. He  was  unopposed. He  was  fighting  in  the  Boer  War  at  the  time  of  his  election  and  did  not  take  his  seat  until  1902.

Percy   was  educated  at  Eton  and  Sandhurst  and  joined  the  Grenadier  Guards  as  a  second  lieutenant. He  went  to  the  Niger  Field  Force  in  1897  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain. In  1899  he  became  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society.

Percy's  maiden  speech  expressed  the  support  of  a  serving  soldier  for  the  government's  conduct  of  the  Boer  War.

In  1903  Percy  became  parliamentary  private  secretary  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for  India. Six  months  later  he  was  switched  to  the  same  post  in  the Admiralty.

Percy  was  defeated  in  1906  but  won  the  seat back  in  1908  easily  seeing  off  Frederick  Whitley-Thompson. His  two  victories  in  1910  against  Henry Webb  were much  narrower.

Percy  returned  to  active  service  in  1914  and  was  twice  wounded  that  year. He  received  the  D.S.O., the  Legion  of  Honour  and  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  He  was  also  promoted  to  Colonel.

He  was  killed  in  action  in  April  1918  aged  41. Both  his  sons  were also  killed  in  action  in  later  conflicts.

1452 Oswald Partington

Constituency : High  Peak  1900-10,  Shipley  1915-18

Oswald  was  a  surprise  victor  at  High  Peak  which  had  been  marginally  Tory  since  its  creation  in  1885.

Oswald  was  the  son  and  heir  of  Baron  Doverdale, a  paper  manufacturer. He  was  born  in  Bury  and  educated  at  Rossall  School.  He  was  club  captain  of  Glossop  North End  FC. He  entered  the  family  business. He  was  an  officer  in  the  Cheshire  Militia.

Oswald's  contributions  were  usually  on  trade  or  military  matters

In  1902  Oswald  married  the  sister  of  the  Master  of  Elibank.

In  1909  Oswald  became  a  junior  whip. The  ensuing  by-election  was  fought  hard  by  the  Conservatives  who  made  much  of  Oswald's  supposed  opposition  to  Catholic  schools. Oswald  fought  it  mainly  on  the  People's  Budget.

Oswald  was  defeated in  December  1910  by  his  friend  Samuel  Hill-Wood  for  the  Tories. The  two  men  founded  Glossop  and  District  Golf  Club. He  was  listed  as  a  possible  peer  for  the  mass  creation  in  1911.

Oswald  became  an  alderman  on  the  LCC  in  1913  and remained  on  the  Council  until  1920.

In  1915  Oswald  was  returned  unopposed  for  Shipley  following  the  death  of  Percy  Illingworth.

Oswald stood  down  in  1918.

Oswald  inherited  his  father's  title  in  1925.

He  died  in  1935  aged  62.

1451 Robert Ratcliff

Constituency  : Burton  1900-12  ( Liberal  Unionist ), 1912-18  Conservative

Robert  gained  Burton  for  the  Liberal  Unionists, replacing  Sydney  Evershed.

Robert  was  born  in  the  town  where  his  father  was  a  partner  in  a  brewing  firm. He  was  educated  at  Rossall  School  and  Cambridge. Robert  became  involved  in  the  family  business  and   also  became  a  Territorial  Army Officer.

In  1914  of  course , the  territorial  reserves  were  mobilised  and  Major  Ratcliffe  took  command  of   the  1/6  North  Staffordshires   in  the  Battle  of  Loos. He  mas  made  a  Companion  of  the  Order  of  St  Michael  and  St  George  in  1916.

In  1916  Robert  acquired  an  interest  in  the  Burton  Mail  newspaper.

Robert  stood  down  as  an  MP  in  1918  but  continued  to  be  active  in  the  TA  until 1925.

He  died  in  1943  aged 65.

.

1450 Frederick Whitley-Thompson

Constituency  : Skipton 1900-06

Frederick  recaptured  Skipton  from  the  Liberal  Unionists'  Walter  Morrison  by  132  votes.

Frederick's  father  was  a  merchant  while  his  mother  was  one  of  the  Whitleys  of  Halifax. He  was  educated  at  Glasgow  Academy  and  the  Andersonian  University  there. He  came  to  be  head  of  J  Whitley  and  Sons, card  manufacturers  and  a  director  of  the  English  Card-clothing  Company.

Frederick  stood  down  in  1906  but  later  decided  he  wanted  to  resume  his  parliamentary  career. He  stood  for  Ross  in  a  by-election  in  1908  but  lost  to  the  Liberal  Unionist,  Percy  Clive  by  over  1,000  votes.

In  1908  Frederick  became  an  alderman of  Halifax  Borough  Council and  then  Mayor  from  1908  to  1911

In  January  1910,  Frederick  stood  for  Colchester  but  failed  to  hold  it  for  the  Liberals.

Frderick  helped  to  raise  funds  for  the  Royal  Halifax  Infirmary  and  the  Halifax  District  Nursing Association  in  memory  of  Edward  VII. He  was  President  of  the  Halifax  Chamber  of  Commerce  from  1912  to  1914  and  chair  of  the  council's  Finance  Committee  from  1913  to  1919. He  chaired  the  Halifax  War  Refugees  Committee  and  received  a  medal  from  the  King  of  Belgium  after  the  War.  He  was  knighted  in  1916.

He  died  in  1924  aged  72.

1449 Luke White

Constituency : Buckrose  1900-18

Luke  took  over  from  Sir  Angus  Holden  at  Buckrose. His  majority  was  90.

Luke  was  from  Deighton, near  Huddersfield. He  was  a  solicitor. He  was  a  magistrate  and  from  1897, the  Coroner  for  the  East  Riding. He  was  agent  for  William  McArthur  in  the  seat  in  1886. He  was  an  alderman  for  East  Riding  County  Council.

Luke's  maiden  speech  was in  favour  of  the  Midwives  Bill  in  1901  which  sought  to  regulate  the  practice.

Luke  was  knighted  in  1908.

Luke  was  a  supporter  of  female  suffrage.

Luke  was  wary  of  Lloyd  George's  land  campaign  of  1913,  fearing  it  might  alienate  local  nonconformist  farmers . He  publicly  stressed  his  "independence"  on  rural  matters. Luke  was  also  opposed  to  the  idea  of  a  minimum  wage.

In  1914  Luke's  bill  allowing  tenant  farmers  to  claim  compensation  for  disturbance  if  evicted  on  sale  of  the  land  was  rushed  through  Parliament. It  overturned  a  grievance  stemming  from  a  1910  court  case.

In  1918   Luke's  health  took  a  turn  for  the  worse  and  he  decided  to  step  down  at  the  election.

It  emerged  soon  afterwards  that  Luke  was  in  serious  financial  trouble  with  much  of  the  debt  being  down  to  election  expenses. After  a  hearing  delayed  by  his  precarious  health, Luke  was  acquitted  of  fraud  charges  in  1919.

He  died  the  following  year  aged  75.

1448 James Duncan

Constituency : Otley  1900-18

James  recaptured  Otley  from  the  Tories.

James  was  a  West  Riding  county  councillor  and  a  member  of  its  technical  instruction  committee. He  was  a  director  of  a  gas  company  and  a  printing  business,

James  was  a  strong  critic  of  the  1902  Education  Act  in  Parliament. After  1906  he did  not  speak  in  the  House.

James  stood  down  when  the  seat  was  abolished  in  1918.

He  died  in  1928  aged  73.

1447 John Whitley

Constituency : Halifax  1900-28

John  came  in  second  at  Halifax  ( behind  the  Liberal  Unionist  Savile  Crossley ) , displacing  the  Liberal  incumbent , Alfred  Billlson.

John  was  a  local  man who  had  married  into  the  Crossley  family  himself.  He  was  educated  at  Clifton  College  then  went  into the  family cotton  spinning  business. He  was  a  congregationalist.

John  was  a  follower  of  the  American  economist  Henry  George. The  local  ILP  were  happy  to  endorse  him.

John  was  a  junior  whip  from  1907  to  1910. He  then  became  Deputy  Speaker  in  1911. He  was  Asquith's  first  choice  to  replace  the  Master  of  Elibank  as  Chief  Whip  in  1913  but  refused  to  relinquish  the  Deputy  Speaker  role.

In  1917,  John  was  appointed  to  chair  a  committee  on  the  "Relations  of  Employers  and  Employees"  primarily  to  ensure  the  war  effort  was  not  disrupted  by  industrial  action. He  proposed  a  system  of  regular  formal  consultative  meetings   - the  "Whitley  Councils"  - to  thrash  out  issues  and  take  them  to  arbitration  if  necessary. John  intended that  they  should  extend  to  both  sectors  but  the  private  sector  successfully  resisted  the  idea.

John  held  his  seat  in  1918. He  was  not  endorsed  by  the  Coalition  but  his  only  opponent  represented  the  Socialist  Labour  Party.

John  ascended  to  the  Speakership  in  1921. He  resigned  the  post  and  his  seat  in  1928  on  the  grounds  of  ill  health.  He  declined  a  peerage  on  retirement  , breaking  a  tradition  going  back  to  1789.

In  1930  John  became  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Governors  at  the  BBC  through  his  friendship  with  John  Reith. He  made  the  first  broadcast  on  what  became  the  World  Service  in  1932.

In  1931  he  chaired  the  Royal  Commission  on  Labour  in  India  which  accepted  much  of  Gandhi's  case  about  British  employers  exacerbating  poverty. After  the  report  was  published  he  declined  a  knighthood.

He  died  in  1935  aged  68.

1446 Theodore Taylor

Constituency  : Radcliffe  cum  Farnworth  1900-18

Theodore  recaptured  Radcliffe  cum  Farnworth  from  the  Tories.

Theodore  was  the  son  of  a  cotton  manufacturer. He  was  educated  at  Batley  Grammar  School  and  Silcoates  School, Wakefield. He  joined  the  family  firm  and  started  buying  out  his  partners  until  he  became  sole  proprietor. He  believed  in  profit  sharing  and  put  his  beliefs  into  practice. He  also  let  the  workers  gradually  acquire  a  majority  of  the  share  capital. He  was  an  initial  councillor  on  West  Riding  County  Council. He  was  a  Congregationalist.

In  1906  Theodore  embarked  on  a  campaign  against  the  Indo-Chinese  opium  trade.  carrying  a  parliamentary  motion  against  the  trade. He  highlighted  the  danger  of  the  practice  of  opium  smoking  spreading  to  white  people.

In  1913  Theodore  defended  the  National  Insurance  Act  against  claims  it  woud  encourage  malingering,  saying  the  friendly  societies'  experience  in  dealing  with  it  would  provide  protection.

Theodore  was  a  benefactor  to  his  church  and  local  education.

Theodore  retired  when  the  seat  was  abolished  in  1918.

Theodore  remained  in  charge  of  the  firm  and  gave  his  workers  a  holiday  in  Blackpool  to  celebrate  his  100th  birthday  in  1950. He  is  currently  the  longest  lived  MP.

He  died  in  1952  aged  102.

1445 Norval Helme

Constituency : Lancaster  1900-18

Norval  recaptured  Lancaster  from  the  Tories' William  Foster   by  44  votes. The  campaign  was  notably  civilised; the  two  men  would  lunch  together  if  canvassing  in  the  same  area..Norval  admitted  to  a  meeting  of  farmers  that   he  was  "not  conversant  with  matters  relating  to  agriculture".

Norval  was  the  son  of  a  local  cloth  manufacturer. He  was  educated  at  Lancaster  Grammar  School. By  the  time  of  his  election  he  was  the  senior  partner  in  the  company. He  served  on Lancaster  City  Council  and  was  Mayor  of  Lancaster  from  1896  to  1897. He  was  chair  of  the  local  Liberal  Association  and  President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. He  was  a  Methodist.

Norval  had  a  particular  interest  in  education.

Norval  was  knighted  in  1912.

Norval  was  a  supporter  of  female  suffrage. His  sister-in-law  was  a  prominent  moderate  suffragist  and  he  made  his  home  available  for  meetings  of  the  Lancaster  Suffragist  Society.

In  1917  Norval  protested  at  the  conscription  of  a  number  of  men  from  his  firm  as  they  were  working  on  an  urgent  order  of  cloth  from  the  Aircraft  Department.

Norval  did  not  receive  the  coupon  in  1918  and  was  decisively  beaten  by  the  Coalition  Conservative.

Norval  was  a  local  benefactor  to  his  church  and  local  hospitals.

He  died  in  1932  aged  82.

1444 James Tomkinson

Constituency : Crewe  1900-10

James  took  Crewe  back  from  the  Tories.

James  was  the  son  of  a  general  at  Waterloo. He  had  estates  in  Cheshire  and  around  Nuneaton.  James  was  educated  at  Rugby. In  1895  he  contested  Nuneaton  and  remained  President  of  Nuneaton  Liberal  Club..He  was  the  first  vice-chairman  of  Cheshire  County  Council. He  once  told  Gladstone  that  he  was  the  only  member  of  the  landed  interest  in  Cheshire  not  to  go  Unionist. He  was  escorting  Gladstone  on  a  visit  to  Chester  in  the  1892  campaign  when  a  woman  hit  Gladstone  in  the  eye  with  a  gingernut  biscuit. He  was  a  director  of  Lloyds  Bank  and  a  number  of  railway  companies.

James's  maiden  speech  was  in  support  of  the  Sale  of  Intoxicating  Liquors  to  Children  Bill  in  1901. He  expressed  the  hope  that  the  age  limit  would  be  raised  from  16  to  18.

James  became  a  Church  Estates  Commissioner  in  1907. He  was  a  member  of  a  Royal  Commission  on  vivisection  in  1909.

In  April  1910  James  participated  in  the  House  of  Commons  Steeplechase. He  fell  off  his  horse - not  his  first  riding  accident - and  died  of  the  injuries  sustained. He  was  69. He  was  a  direct  ancestor  of  Tara  Palmer -Tomkinson.

1443 Richard Rigg

Constituency : Appleby  1900-04, 1904-05  ( Conservative )

Richard  was  a  surprise  victor  in  a  seat  that  had  been  solidly  Conservative  since  its  creation  in  1885. The  incumbent  Tory  was  a  property  dealer  who  had  made  many  enemies  locally  and  lifelong  Tories  voted  Liberal  to  get  shut  of  him.

Richard  was  only  23  at  the  time  of  his  election. He  was  a  teetotaller  who  had   served  time  in  the  army.

Richard  asked  6  miscellaneous  questions  during  his  time  in  Parliament.

By  November  1904  he  had  decided,  against  the  trend,  that  his  sympathies  lay  with  the  Conservatives . He  delayed  resigning  his  seat  claiming  that  "ruffianism"  by  local  Liberals  ( a  claim  disputed  by  the  local  Liberal  paper ) had  made  him  ill  requiring  a  Continental  trip  to  recover.  He  returned  in  February  but  the  Conservatives lost   the  by-election   ( with  a  different  candidate ) the  following  month.

In  later  years  Richard  served  as  a  councillor  on  Westminster  City  Council  and  was  Mayor  of  the  borough  in  1939-40.

He  died  in  1942  aged  65.

1442 Sir Osmond Williams

Constituency : Merioneth  1900-10

 Osmond  took  over  from  Owen  Edwards  at  Merioneth. He  was  unopposed.

 Osmond  was  the  son  of  the  former  MP  for  the  constituency, David  Williams. He  was  educated  at  Eton. He  inherited  his  father's  country  estate.

 Osmond  was  a  supporter  of  Welsh  disestablishment  and  the  eight  hour  day.

  Osmond  was  unopposed  again  in  1906.

Osmond  was  created  a  baronet  in  1909.

 Osmond  stood  down  in  January  1910.

He  died  in  1927  aged  77  in  Australia.

1441 John Thomas

Constituency : Gower  1900-06

John  took  over  from  David  Randell  at  Gower. He  defeated  an  Independent  Labour  candidate  by  423  votes  with  the  help  of  a  local  miners  leader  John  Williams..

John  was  educated  at  Rhydowen  and  Milford  Grammar  School. He  was  a  solicitor , a  mine  owner  and  a  tinplate  manufacturer. He  was  Mayor  of  Swansea  in  1897-98. He  was  a  Nonconformist.

John  stood  down  in  1906

He  died  in  1935  aged  84.

1440 Alfred Davies

Constituency : Carmarthen  1900-06

Alfred unseated  the  Liberal  Unionist,  John  Jenkins,  at  Carmarthen.

Alfred  was  the  son  of  a  Congregationalist  minister. He  was  educated  at  Mill  Hill  School  and  Rickmansworth. He  was  a  co-founder  of  Davies  Turner  a  large  freight  forwarding  company  operating  from  Britain  and  America. He  was  elected  to  London  County  Council  as  a  Progressive  in  1889. In  1890  he  was  slated  for  the  vacancy  in  East  Carmarthenshire  but  withdrew  before  the  selection  conference.

Alfred  was  frequently  reprimanded  by  the  Speaker  for  trying  to  draw  ministers  into  financial  discussions.

Alfred  incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  local  party  and  in  January  1905  they  selected  a  new  candidate  for  the  seat  , Llewellyn  Williams. Alfred  accepted  their  decision  with  good  grace  as  he  was  already  in  poor  health and stood  down  in  1906.

He died  in  1907  aged  58.

1439 John Gordon

Constituency : South  Londonderry  1900-12 (Liberal  Unionist ) 1912-16 ( Conservative )

John  took  over  from  Thomas  Lea  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  at  South  Londonderry.

John  was  educated  at  Queen's  College, Galway. He  became  a  barrister. He  was  a  Presbyterian, opposed  to  a  separate  Catholic  university  in  Ireland.

John  was  appointed  Attorney-General  for  Ireland  when  the  coalition  government  was  formed  in  1915.

In  April  1916  John  was  appointed  a  judge  and  resigned  his  seat.

He  died  in  1922  after  being  taken  ill  on  a  tram  in  Dublin. He  was  72.

1438 Sir John Tuke

Constituency : Edinburgh  and  St  Andrews  Universities 1900-10 ( Liberal  Unionist )

Sir  John  made  a  pseudo -gain  for  the  Liberal  Unionists,   in  the  university  seat  by  replacing  a  Tory.

John  was  born  in  Beverley. He  was  educated  at  Edinburgh  Academy  and  Edinburgh  University. He  graduated  in  1856  and joined  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons. He  spent  seven  years  in  New  Zealand  as  an  army  surgeon  during  the  Maori  War. He  returned  to  Edinburgh  becoming  assistant  physician at  Royal  Edinburgh  Asylum. He  published  articles  on  insanity. He  moved  to  a  new  asylum  at  Fife  and  Kinross  as  superintendent. His  reputation  increased  with  publications  setting  out  his  views  on  humane  patient  treatment. He  moved  into  private  practice  as  well  as  teaching  at  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians.In  1895  he  became  their  president. He  was  knighted  in  1898.

Sir  John's  parliamentary  contributions  were  largely  on  medical  matters.

John  held  his  seat  in  1906, having  only  an  Independent  as  his  opponent.

John  stood  down  in   January  1910.

He  died  in  1913  aged  78.

1437 Alexander Murray aka Master of Elibank

Constituency :  Midlothian  1900-06, Peebles  and  Selkirk 1906-10, Midlothian 1910-12

Alexander  took  over  from  Thomas  Gibson-Carmichael  at  Midlothian.

Alexander  was  the  son  and  heir  of  Viscount  Elibank  and  generally  referred  to  as  "M"aster  of Elibank". He  was  educated  at  Cheltenham . He  was  a  partner  in  the  publishing  firm, Pearson's. He  stood  unsuccessfully  at  Edinburgh  West  and  Peevbles  and  Selkirk  in  1895  and  City of  York  in  1900.

Alexander  was  appointed  Comptroller  of  the  Household  in  1905  and  held the  post  until  1909

Alexander  switched  to  Peebles  and  Selkirk  in  1906.

In  1909  Alexander  was  appointed  Under  Secretary  of  State  for  India.

In  January  1910  Alexander  switched  back  to  Midlothian. He  was  appointed  Chief  Whip. His  predecessor  Jack  Pease  advised  Asquith  against  the  appointment , viewing  Alexander  as  "too  scheming". He  was  the  chief  supporter  in  Cabinet   of  the  1910  Constitutional  Conference. He  was  deeply  critical  of  Asquith's  speech  admitting  there  were  "no  guarantees"  about  the  creation  of  peers.

  Alexander  held  the  post  until  August  1912  when he  resigned  due  to  being  implicated  in  the  Marconi  scandal.  As  the  actual   purchaser  of  the  controversial  shares  he  was  most  in  the  firing  line. Just  weeks  later  he  was  elevated  to  the  peerage  as  Baron  Murray.

Alexander  went  to  Columbia  to  develop  some  gold  mines  but  returned  during  the  war. He  was  Lloyd  George's  emissary  to  Asquith  regarding  the  1918  election  and  the  offer  of  the  Lord  Chancellorship.

He  died  in  1920  aged  50, never  succeeding  his  father  in  the  viscountcy.

1436 Sir Andrew Agnew

Constituency : Edinburgh  South  1900-06  ( Liberal  Unionist )

Andrew  wrested  back  Edinburgh  South  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  from  the  1899  by-election  victor  Arthur  Dewar.

Andrew  was  the  son  of  the  similarly  named  baronet  and  former  MP  for  Wigtownshire. He  was  educated at  Harrow  and  Cambridge  and  succeeded  to  his  father's  title  in  1892. He  was  a  barrister.

Andrew  seconded  the  King's  Speech  in  1901.  In  1905  he  pressed  Balfour  for  legislation  on  musical  piracy.

Andrew  was  defeated  by  Dewar  in  1906.

Andrew  was  a  member  of  the  Royal  Company  of  Archers.

He  died  in  1928  aged  77.

1435 George Brown

Constituency : Edinburgh  Central  1900-06

George  took  over  from  William  McEwan  at  Edinburgh  Central, beating  Arthur  Conan  Doyle  who  stood  for  the  Liberal  Unionists.  George  was  actually  Conan  Doyle's  publisher. The  Liberal  Unionists  regarded  him  as  "an  untried  man"  and  thought  Conan  Doyle  could  beat  him . Liberal  supporters  put  up  posters  referring  to  Conan  Doyle's  Catholic  background  and  he  had  to  deny  he  was  against  the  Scottish  Kirk.

George  was  born  in  Toronto , the  son  of  a  Canadian  newspaper  publisher  and  MP. He  was  educated  at  Upper  Canada  College, then  Merchiston  Castle  School  in  Scotland  before  Cambridge. He  became  managing  trustee  at  the  publishers, Thomas  Nelson  and  Sons. He  married  Nelson's  daughter  in  1901.

George  was  a  supporter  of  temperance  and  the  improvement  of  telegraphy  communications. He  spoke  against  the  corn  tax  in  the  1902  budget.

George  did  not  find  parliamentary life  congenial  and  announced  his  intention  to  step  down  at  the  end  of  his  term  as  early  as  1902.

George  supported  the  United  Irish  League  and  joined  the  council  of  the  Free  Trade  Union  in  1903.

He  died  in  1946  aged  77.

1434 John Hope

Constituency  : West  Fife  1900-10, Haddingtonshire  1911-18, Berwick  and  Haddington 1918-22

John  took  over  at  West  Fife  when  Augustine  Birrell  switched  seats.

John  was  the  son  of  a  famous  agriculturalist. His  brother  Harry  was  the  Conservative  MP  for  Buteshire. He  was  educated  at  Fettes  College  and  Edinburgh  University.  He  became  a  chartered  accountant  and  later  a  stockbroker. He  contested  West  Perthshire  in  1895.

John  asked  parliamentary  questions  and  sat  on  Royal  Commissions  but  never  made  a  speech  in  the  Commons.

John  had  easy  victories  until  January  1910  when  William  Adamson, secretary  of  the  Fife  Miners  Association , stood  against  him  for  Labour. Adamson  won  by  703  votes  in  December  despite  the  absence  of  a  Unionist  candidate,

John  got  back  in  Haddingtonshire  in  1911  when  Haldane  was  elevated  to  the  peerage.

In  1918  John  stood  for  the  Coalition  in  Berwick  and  Haddington, defeating  Labour  and  the  Liberal  Harold  Tennant.

By  1922  ,  the  Lloyd  George  Liberals  regarded  John  as  an  indolent  passenger  and  selected  a  different  candidate  Walter  Waring  although  John  had  already  received  a  letter  of  support  from  Balfour. John  stood  as  an  Independent  Liberal  prepared  to  support  but  came  fourth  behind  Waring, Labour  and  an  Asquith  supporter.

He  died  in  1949  aged  89.

1433 Robert Craig

Constituency : Glasgow  Govan  1900-06

Robert  took  over  from  John  Wilson  ( not  the  one  from  the  previous  post )  at  Glasgow  Govan.

Robert  was  a  corn  merchant  and  spoke  out  against  flour  duries  in  the  1902  budget. He said  that  a  grain  tax  would  reduce  bread  supplies  and  make  it  easy  for  an  enemy  to  starve the  UK  into  submission.

He  died  in  1913  aged  74.

1432 John Wilson

Constituency : Glasgow  St  Rollox  1900-06  ( Liberal Unionist )

John  took  over  from a  Tory  at  Glasgow  St  Rollox.

He  died  in  1928  aged  90.

1431 John Stroyan

Constituency : West  Perthshire  1900-06  ( Liberal  Unionist )

John  took  over  from  Donald  Currie  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  in  West  Perthshire.

John  was  the  son  of  a  yeoman  farmer. He  operated  as  a  merchant  in  South  Africa and  amassed  great  wealth  there. He  is  described  by  historians  John  McKenzie  and  Nigel  David  as  " a  lecher  and  a  swindler, attracting  investments  to  useless  mining  propositions".

John  was  consulted  by  Chamberlain  over  reconstruction  measures  after  the  Boer  War. He  spoke  in  favour  of  the  government's  peace  terms  in  1901. He  was  also  a  champion  of  the  use  of  Chinese  coolie  labour  in  the  Transvaal.

John  enjoyed  hunting, fishing, shooting  and  golf.

John  was  defeated  in  1906.

He  died  in  1941  aged  85.