Constituency : Darlington 1880-95
Theodore took over from Edmund Backhouse at Darlington.
Theodore was from the famous Quaker chocolate making family but he concentrated on other business interests. He was a director of a coal and coke company , a waterworks and an ironworks. He was mayor of Darlington from 1877 to 1878. He was married to a member of the Pease family Sophia, a campaigner for female suffrage.
In 1886 Theodore introduced a Bill to apply the principles of local option to the sale of liquour on a Sunday in Durham. It was defeated in the Lords.
The Home Rule split divided the family and Sophia's cousin Arthur Pease stood against Theodore in 1892 as a Liberal Unionist. Theodore squeaked home by 56 votes.
In 1895 Theodore and Sophia were both injured in a carriage accident in Italy. This hampered Theodore in another fierce campaign against Pease who triumphed by 657 votes.
In 1894 Theodore was created a baronet. In 1895 he introduced a bill to allow people who were employed on public works schemes to retain the vote but it was defeated. His last speech was in favour of the repeal of the Coercion Act in Ireland.
In 1897 Sophia died of influenza while they were travelling to Madrid. When Theodore remarried in 1902 he left Darlington for Surrey. In 1911 he went on a long sea voyage to South America.
He died in 1912 aged 76.
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