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.
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