1188 John Austin

Constituency : Osgoldcross  1886-1906

John  ejected  the  old  Palmerstonian,  Sir  John  Ramsden  who  had  gone  over  to  the  Liberal  Unionists  by  nearly  1,000  votes.

John  was  a  Catholic  though  he  generally  had  good  relations  with  his  Non-conformist  constituents

John's  maiden  speech  in  1887  was  against  coercion  in  Ireland. He  opposed  the  Early  Closing  Bill  in  1888.

John  was  created  a  baronet  in  1894.

In  June  1899  John  himself   left  the  party  after  the  Osgoldcross  Liberal  Association  passed  a  vote  of  no  confidence  in  him. He  had  been  at  odds  with  a  number  of  local  Liberals  for  his  votes  on  religious  questions. He  opposed  plans  to  allow  local  authorities  to  veto  liquor  sales  and  precipitated  a  by-election  on  this   issue   in  which  he  was  returned  as  an  "Independent  Liberal"  against  an  official  Liberal, the  future  MP  for  Lincoln  Charles  Roberts. He  saw  off  another  Liberal  in  1900. Both  of  these  victories  were  by  very  comfortable  majorities  suggesting  he  was  drawing  Conservative  support.

He  stood  down  in  1906  and  died  shortly  after  the  election  aged  82.