1048 James Joicey

Constituency : Chester-le-Street  1885-1906

James  was  the  first  MP  for  the  new  seat  of  Chester-le-Street. His  uncle  was  previously  MP  for  North  Durham. He  defeated  an  independent  Liberal  backed  by  Parnell.

James  was  chairman  of  a  family  mining  company  which  ownded  several  collieries  in  the  Durham  area.  He  was  educated  at  Gainford  Academy . He  bought  estates  in  the  area  which  remain  in  the  possession  of  his  family. He  was  President  of  the  Newcastle  on  Tyne  Chamber  of  Commerce.He  was  a  director  of  the  North  eastern  Railway.

James  was  a  supporter  of  Gladstone. He  contributed  to  party  funds  and  maintained  a  supportive  newspaper, the  Newcastle  Daily  Leader  from  1885  to  1904. He  was  staunchly  anti-socialist  and  resisted  any  suggestions  of  making  way  for  Labour.

James  was  created  a  baronet  in  1893. In  1896  he  bought  Lambton  Collieries  and  in  1911  Hetton  Collieries. In  1901  he  was  a  partner  in  setting  up  the  Albyn  Line.

James  stood  down  in  1906. He  became  Baron  Joicey  after  the  election. He  gradually  pulled  away  from  the  party  in  response  to  its  increasingly  radical  bent.He  did  not  support  the  People's  Budget  or  female  suffrage. In  1931  he  endorsed  the  Conservative  party  "in  an  independent  capacity".

James  had  good  relations  with  his  workers  and  was  a  noted  philanthropist.  He  was  keen  on  cricket, tennis  and  shooting.

He  died  in  1936  aged  90.