1225 Christopher Furness

Constituency : The  Hartlepools  1891-5, 1900-1910

Christopher  recaptured  Hartlepool  for  the  main  party  after  the  death  of  the  Liberal  Unionist Thomas  Richardson.

Christopher  was  a   grocer's  son  who  started  as  a  buyer  then  a  partner  in  his  brother's wholesale  provision  firm.  He  made  a  fortune  by  finding  a  way  to  evade  the  French  blockade in  the  Franco-Prussian  War. Christopher  took  the  initiative  in  the  firm  buying  its  own  ships and in  1882  started  a  separate  company  to  handle  the  shipping  side. He  then  managed  a series of  mergers  which  eventually  made  him  the  biggest  employer  in  the  town.

Christopher's  Commons  contributions  were  largely  on  marine  matters.

Christopher  had  a  very  narrow  victory  over   the  Liberal  Unionists  in  1892  then  an  equally narrow  defeat  in  1895  but  he  was  returned  with  a  large  majority  in  1900.

Christopher  was  knighted  in  1895.

In  1908  Christopher   proposed  his  ideas  on  industrial  peace  to  a  conference  of  trade  union  representatives  in  Hartlepool.  That  same  year  he  pressed  McKenna  for  more  government  contracts  to  be  placed  with  the  shipyards  against  the  clamour  for  retrenchment.

Christopher's  election  in  January  1910  was  voided  on  petition  and  he  relinquished  the  seat  to his  nephew  Stephen. He  was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Baron  Furness. His  only  speech  to  the Lords  in  1912 expressed  concern  about  the  damage  the  industrial  unrest  was  doing  to  UK trade.

He  died  in  1912  aged  60.

1224 Henry Roby

Constituency : Eccles  1890-95

Henry  took  Eccles  from  the  Tories  after  the death  of  their  MP.

Henry  was  a  solicitor's  son  from  Tamworth. He  was  educated  at  Bridgnorth  Grammar  School and  Cambridge. He  was  a  top  classics  student  at  the  latter  and  stayed on  to  become  a lecturer and  private  tutor  until  1860. He  then  spent  three  years  as  under  master  at  a  school  in Dulwich  during  which  time  he  published  An  Elementary  Latin  Grammar. In   1864  he  became secretary  of  the  Schools  Inquiry  Commissionand  wrote  much  of  its  final  report. From  1866  to 1868  he  was  professor  of  jurisprudence  at  University  College  London. In  1874  Henry   abruptly  changed  tack  and  became  a  partner  in  his  father  in  law's  cotton  firm  near Manchester  buying  out  a  certain  Friedrich  Engels. He  held office  in  numerous  regional  Liberal bodies.

Henry  was  known  as  a  radical.

Henry  retired  from  business  in  1894  and  stood  down  from  Parliament  at  the  1895  election. He  retired  to  the  Lake  District.

Henry  published  a  number  of  scholarly  works  on  Roman  law.

He  died  in  1915  aged  84.

 

1223 Abel Thomas

Constituency : East  Carmarthenshire  1890-1912

Abel  replaced  the  deceased   David  Pugh  at  East  Carmarthenshire.

Abel  was  the  son  of  a  Baptist  minister  from  Pembrokeshire. He  was  educated  at  Clifton College  and  the  University  of  London. He  became  a  barrister.

Although  Abel  had  no  trouble  getting  re-elected  and  was  unopposed  in  1906,  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  rather  lethargic  once  he  got  there.

Abel's  maiden  speech  was  against  the  Tithe  Rent-Charge  Recovery  Bill  of  1890.

He  died  of  a  heart  attack  in  1912.

1222 James Duncan

Constituency : Barrow-in-Furness  1890-92

James  chalked  up  an  opportunistic  victory  for  the  Liberals  when William  Caine  decided  to  leave  the  Liberal  Unionists  over  compensation  for  licencees   and  seek  his  constituents'  re-endorsement  as  an  "Independent  Liberal". Instead  they  plumped  for  James.

James  was  the  son  of  Caine's  predecessor  , the  shipowner  David  Duncan.  He  was  born  in Chile . He  was  educated  at  Amersham  Hall  and  Cambridge. He  became  a  barrister.

James  was  defeated  by  the  Tories   in  1892 and  was  the  last  Liberal  to  represent  the  seat.

He  died  in  1911  aged  52.

1221 David Lloyd George

Constituency : Caernarvon  Boroughs  1890-1945

There's  no  doubting  who  the  most  significant  arrival  during  the  1886-92  Parliament  was. By  the  time   David's  55-year  unbroken  stint  as  an  MP  finished  the  political  landscape  was  utterly  transformed  and  he  had  had  a  large  say  in  bringing  that  about. He  had  a  large  part  in  both  his  party's  greatest  triumph  and  arguably  the  nation's  yet  to  many  , including  the  late  Roy  Jenkins  he  was  the  principal  agent  of  the  Liberal  Party's  destruction. None  of  this  could  have  been  foreseen when  he  recaptured  Caernarvon  Boroughs  by  a  mere  18  votes  in  a  by-election  after  the  surprise  Tory  victory  in  1886.

David  was  born  in  Manchester  in  1863  to  Welsh  parents  and  learned  the  language. His  father  died  when  he  was  very  young  and  his  mother  moved  the  family  to  the  household  of  her  brother  Richard  Lloyd  in  rural  Wales. He  was  a  shoemaker, a  Baptist  minister  and  strong  Liberal. He  was  the  major  influence  on  David's  upbringing. Historians  tend  to  think  that  David  did  not  have  strong  religious  convictions  himself  but  a  strong  attachment  to  Welsh  Nonconformity  through  childhood  nostalgia. Richard  encouraged  him  and  his  brother  William  to  take  up  law  and  set  up  a  solicitors'  practice

David's  energies  contributed  to  the early  expansion  of  the  practice  but  his  mind  was  set  on  a  political  career. He  was  a  supporter  of  Chamberlain's  "unauthorised  programme"  in  1885  but  was  disappointed  that  the  Liberal  Unionists  were  offering  nothing  to  address  specifically  Welsh  grievances  and  so  stayed  with  the  Gladstonians. In  1888  he  helped   win  an  important   court  case  on  Nonconformist  burial  rights  and  it  was  this  that  secured  him  the  nomination  at  Caernarvon.

At  first  David  collaborated  with  a  group  of  Liberal  backbenchers  on  disestablishment, temperance  and  Home  Rule  for  Wales  but  when  his  proposals  for  a  merged  Welsh  Liberal  federation  were  blocked  by  David  Thomas  and  other  Welsh  Liberals  he  found  new  causes. He  came  to  prominence  as  the  fiercest  critic  of  his  old  hero  Chamberlain   and  went  on  the  stump  attacking  him  for  profiting  from  the  Boer  War which  he  denounced  as  unjust  and  its  conduct  inhumane. He  took  the  fight  to  the  dragon's  lair  speaking  in  Birmingham  where  he  had  to  be  smuggled  out  dressed  as  a  policeman. He  also  made  significant  interventions  in  the  debates  on  the  1902  Education  Act.

The  attacks  on  the  Boer  War  put  him  in  the  same  camp  as  the  new  Liberal  leader  Campbell-Bannerman  and  he  was  rewarded  with  a  place  in  his  Cabinet  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade. David  was  now  aware of  the  threat  posed  by  the  new  Labour  party  and  along  with  his  friend  Churchill  who  he  had  encouraged  to  defect  from  the  Tories  , argued  that  the  Liberals  had  to  outflank  them  on  social  questions  to  survive. At  the  Board  of  Trade  he  brought  the  Port  of  London  into  public  ownership  and  brought  commercial  shipping  into  line  but  most  significantly  headed  off  a  proposed  rail  strike  with  his  deft  negotiating  skills  which  considerably  enhanced  his  reputation.

In  1908  the  accession  of  Asquith  brought  his  promotion  to  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  He  had  to  accept  the  Cabinet's  decision  to  build  eight  rather  than  four  dreadnoughts  but  this  only  made  his  1909  budget  more  radical  as  he  was  determined  that  plans  for  national  insurance  for  the  sick  and  unemployed  not  be  sidelined  by  the  military  expenditure. Thus  came  the  people's  Budget  increasing  income  tax  and  death  duties  and  introducing  new  taxes  on  land  ownership  and  a  super  tax. The  response  from  the  truncated  Tories  in  the  Commons  was  muted   but  the  Lords  were   outraged  and  defied  all  convention  by  throwing  it  out.

This  gave  David  and  Asquith  the  excuse  they  needed  to  take  on  the  Upper  House  who  had  been  frustrating  the  Liberal  reform  programme  since  the  landslide  victory  of  1906. While  Asquith  negotiated  with  the  King, David  went  out  on  the  stump  again   and  his  Limehouse  speech  upped  the  ante  in  the  same  way  as  Chamberlain's  "ransom"  speech  a   generation  earlier. The  general  elections  of  1910  allowed  both  the  passage  of  the  Budget  and  the  curtailing  of  the  power  of  the  Lords  but  between  them  the  King  demanded  the  parties  negotiate  and  during  the  negotiations  David  first  showed  that  he  might  not  be  the  party  man  that  others  supposed.

He  felt  that  he  could  broker  a  deal  between  the  parties  on  all  the  major  issues  dividing   them  including   Home  Rule,  the  Lords   and  Free  Trade  and  then  presumably  form  a  united bulwark  against  socialism. He  found  few  takers  for  the  idea  and  after  the  crisis  had  passed worked  on  the  National  Insurance  Act  1911  which  required  more  skilful  negotiations  between vested  interests.  He  faced  his  greatest  political  crisis  to  date  in  1913   when  he  and  two  other ministers  were  accused  of  profiting  from  holding  Marconi  shares  when  the  firm  won  a government  contract.  With  Asquith's  support  he  survived  but  his  reputation  took  a  bit  of  a hammering.

David  was  not  enthusiastic  about  entering  the  First  World  War  and  did  not  come  round  to  the  idea  until  the  invasion  of  Belgium. However  once  the  decision  was  made  he  was  single-minded  about  the  need  to  win  it. He  created  the  financial  conditions  necessary   with  his  war  budgets  but  began  to  hanker  for  a  more  direct  role  and  when  the  Shell  Crisis  of  1915  necessitated  the  formation  of  a  coalition  government  he  pressed  for  and  got  the  creation  of  a  Ministry  of  Munitions   with  himself  at  the  head. His  success  in  the  role  made  him  absolutely  indispensable  to  the  government  and  when  Kitchener  drowned  in  June  1916  he  replaced  him  as  Secretary  of  State  for  War. His  support  for  general  conscription  dismayed  many  of  his  fellow  Liberals  but  increased  respect  for  him  among  the  Tories.

With  Asquith  doggedly  refusing  to  give  the  conduct  of  the  war  his  undivided  attention, David  proposed  the  establishment  of  a  small  war  committee  headed  by  himself. At  first  Asquith  was  inclined  to  agree  but  when  a  newspaper  article  suggested  he  was  being  sidelined  his  attitude  hardened  as  he  believed  David  was  briefing  against  him  and  he  insisted  he  must  chair  the  committee  himself. David  resigned  precipitating  a  political  crisis  which  ended  with  he  himself  becoming  Prime  Minister   with  the  majority  of  his  support  coming  from  the  Tories  and  Asquith  de  facto  Leader  of  the  Opposition.

This  was  an  uncomfortable  situation  but  it  allowed  David  to  lead  the  country  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion  to  the  War  and  his  own  acclamation  as  the  main  architect  of  the  victory. The  leading  Tories'  continued  willingness  to  accept  his  leadership  led  to  the  momentous  decision  to  fight  the  next  long  overdue  election  as  a  coalition. David  neglected   to  ensure  that  enough  of  his  "couponed"  supporters  were  actually  Liberals , believing  his  prestige  would  overcome  party  differences. The  result  absolutely  smashed  Asquith's  Liberal  faction  and  left  the  Tories  with  a  majority  to  govern  without  David  and  his  "Coalition  Liberals"  if  they  so  chose.

David  was  able  to  enhance  his  prestige  by  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  Paris  Peace  Settlement   but  at  home  his  government's  attempts  to  introduce  social  reform  measures  were  defeated  by  economic  circumstance  as  the  government  was  forced  into  a  policy  of  retrenchment. David  had  to  sacrifice  a  key  ally  Christopher  Addison   as  a  result. The  government  was  also  forced  into  fighting  a  nasty  war  in  Ireland  and  although  he  was  able  to  negotiate  a  peace  settlement  which  in  part  still  holds  today  his  reputation  had  taken  a  bit  of  a  battering  through  the  means  of  securing  it.

By  1920   David  was  beginning  to  become  aware  of  his  precarious  personal  position  and  revived  his  proposals  for  a  Centre  Party  uniting  the  bulk  of  the  Unionists  with  his  Liberal  supporters. It  was  rejected  by  both  sides  , the  Liberals  still  hoping  for  reconciliation  with  the  Asquithians  and  the Tories  seeing  little  benefit  in  allying  with  a  group  who  were  losing  every  by-election  they  contested. David's  reputation  sunk  lower  still  with  his  cynical  sale  of  honours  to  build  up  a  personal  war  chest   which  so  offended  the  likes  of  Stanley  Baldwin.

In  1922  David's  rather  reckless  support  for  Greece's  war  with  Turkey  convinced  his  enemies  in  the  Tory  party  that  they  should  strike  now  and  they  carried  a  party  meeting  that  they  should  fight  the  next  election  by  themselves. David  rather  precipitately  resigned  as  the  last  Liberal  Prime  Minister,  perhaps  believing  that  his  close  ally  of  the  past  six  years  Bonar  Law  would  give  him  time  to  realign  himself.

Instead  Law  called  an  immediate  election  at  which  David  lost  two-thirds  of  his  parliamentary  following, a  personally  disastrous  result. He  then  went  on  a  tour  of  America. Law  died  and  David's  most  implacable  foe,  Baldwin  replaced  him. Believing  that  David  would  call  for  Protection  on  his  return  and  needing  to  bring  Austen  Chamberlain  ( who  had  supported  continuing  the coalition  )  back  into  the  fold  Baldwin  announced   his  own  conversion  to  the  cause  and  another  coalition. David  announced  his  continued  commitment  to  Free  Trade  and  his  willingness  to  serve  under  Asquith  in  a  reunited  Liberal  party.

The  election  rewarded  the  Liberals  with  158  seats  but  this  still left  them  in  third  place. Baldwin  hurriedly  resigned  to  avoid  coalition  talks  with   David's  party  and  Asquith  felt obliged  to  put  Ramsay  McDonald's  Labour   party in  power.  McDonald  was  hardly  less averse to  David  then  Baldwin  and  wanted  no  accommodation  with  the  Liberals  ; indeed  his  political priority  was  to  knock  them  out  of  contention. He  seized  the  first  opportunity  to  call  another election  in  1924  which  reduced  the  Liberals  to  40  seats.

The  reunion  was  now  exposed  as  a  sham  with  David's  former  opponents  trying  to  drive  him  out  of  public  life  at  whatever  cost  to  the  party. Asquith  tried  to  carpet  him  over  the  General  Strike  when  David  took  a  more  conciliatory  line  but  the  feud  finally  ended  soon  afterwards    with  Asquith's  stroke. David  was  able  to  win  control  of  the  party  machinery  thereafter.

He  immediately  used  his  money  to  commission  a  series  of  inquiries  in  order  to  build  up  a new  policy  portfolio  for  the  party. Some  of  his  old  foes  recognised  that  this  was  actually  the only  way  forward  for  the  party  and  fell  into  line. The  result  was  the  party's  1929  manifesto We  Can  Conquer  Unemployment  which  ensured  that  the  Liberals  made  the  running  in  the campaign   but  they  were  badly  served  by  the  first  past  the  post  system  and  ended  with  just 59  seats.

Nevertheless  this  left  them  holding  the  balance  of  power  and  David, now  incidentally  Father of  the  House ,  was  determined  to  get  a  better deal  from  McDonald  who  in  turn  was  a  little more  interested  in  staying  in  government  than  in  1924. Talks  seemed  to  be  making  headway with  a  deal  on  proportional  representation  in  the  offing. However  he  was  constantly undermined  by  right  -leaning  Liberals  led  by  Sir  John  Simon  who  wished  to  ally  with  the Conservatives  instead.

The  economic  crisis  of  1931  put  an  end  to   it  all. By  unhappy  chance  David  fell  seriously  ill and  the  negotiations  for  the  Liberal  party  had  to  be  conducted  by  Herbert  Samuel. David initially  approved  the  Liberals'  involvement  in  the  so-called  National  Government  but     furiously  opposed  the  calling  of  a  General  Election  to  ratify  it. He  fought  the  election  as  an  "Independent  Liberal"  opposing  the  government  as  did  those  MPs  related  to  him  but  no  one  else  followed  him. Four  out  of   the  five  retained  their  seats  and  reunited  with  Samuel's  hapless  band  when  they  returned  to  opposition  in  1933.

However  by  that  time  David  had  despaired  of  ever  returning  to  power  and  was  preoccupied with  writing  his  memoirs. In  1935  he  made  a  last  attempt  at  regaining  influence  ,by   launching  his  own  version  of  the  New  Deal  though  it  was  essentially  a  re-run  of  the  1929 manifesto. McDonald  indulged  him  by  letting  him  put  his  ideas  to  a  Cabinet  sub-committee but  the  Tories  effectively  vetoed  him  joining  the  government. He  and  his  family  group retained  their  seats  in  1935.

The  following  year  he  visited  Hitler and  expressed  admiration  for  his  domestic  achievements   in  an  article  for  The  Daily  Express  but  he  later  disavowed  his  support  for  appeasement  when Neville  Chamberlain  , another  implacable  foe , became  its  leading  adherent. His  last  effective contribution  in  Parliament  was  helping  Chamberlain  on  his  way  out  during  the  Norway debate which  ushered  in  Churchill's  government.

Churchill  offered  him  a  Cabinet  post  as  Minister  of  Agriculture. Whether  through  physical frailty  or  jealousy  of  his  former  junior  colleague  he  declined  the  offer  and  then  incurred  the government's  wrath  by  advocating  a  peace  deal  after  the  Battle  of  Britain. There  was  a  later suggestion  that  he  could  become  Ambassador  to  Washington  but  his  health  was  declining  too badly  for  that.

Besides  politics  David  had  one  main  interest  in  life  , namely  sex.  He  was  said  to  have  a prodigiously  large  member  despite  his  short  stature  and  was  nicknamed  "the  Goat"  for  his sexual  appetites. He  was  assisted  by  his  wife  Margaret's  refusal  to  move  to  London  and  he married  his  longtime  mistress  Frances  Stevenson  two  years  after  her  death  in  1941  despite opposition  from  his  children.

It  was  suggested  that  he  be  allowed  an  unopposed  return  in  1945  but  Labour  objected  that his  poor  health  had  already  disenfranchised  the  constituency  for  a  considerable  period  of   time. He  was  created  Earl  Lloyd-George  of  Dwyfor  on  New  Year's  Day  1945  but  he  never   took  his  seat  in  the  Lords,  succumbing  to  cancer  two  months  later  aged  82. He  was  buried near  his  boyhood  home  in  Llanystumdwy.      

                                

1220 Samuel Evans

Constituency : Mid  Glamorgan  1890-1910

Samuel  took  over  at  Mid  Glamorgan  following  the  death  of  the  veteran  Christopher  Talbot. He  was  unopposed.

Samuel  was  a  grocer's  son  from  near  Neath. He  was  educated  at  University  College, Aberystwyth  and   the  University  of  London. He  was  first  a  solicitor  and  then  switched  to  the Bar. He  had  the  reputation  of  a  militant  nonconformist  and  supporter  of  Cymru  Fydd.

Samuel  made  a  good  impression  on  entering  the  Commons  and  initially  outshone  Lloyd  George. He  always  held  his  seat  easily  and  was  unopposed  in  1906.

In  1906  Samuel  became  Recorder  of  Swansea   then  in  1908  Asquith  had  him  knighted  and  made  Solicitor  General.

In  1907  Samuel  and  two  other  nonconformist  members  of  a  royal  commission  into  Welsh  religious  bodies   resigned  at  the  behaviour  of  the  Anglican  chairman.

Samuel  was  well  known  as  an  opponent  of  female  suffrage  believing  that  a  woman's  place  was  in  the  home. In  1906 he  tried  to  talk  out  Keir  Hardie's  resolution  on  the  issue.

Shortly  after  the  January  1910  election  Samuel  accepted  appointment  as  a  High  Court  judge. He  was  President  of  the  Prize  Court  during  World  War  One. He  was  also  judge  in  the  Crippen  case.

He  died  in  1918  aged  59.

1219 James Smith

Constituency  : Glasgow  Partick  1890 - 1906  ( Liberal  Unionist )

James  kept  Glasgow  Partick  in  Liberal  Unionist  hands  after  the  death  of  Alexander  Sellar.

James  was  a  lawyer's  son. He  was  proud  of  having  a  number  of  illustrious  ancestors . He  was   educated  at   Winchester  and  Cambridge . He  became  a  barrister  .He  contested  Paisley  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  in  1886. He  was  a  director  of  a  number  of  Glasgow-based  companies.

In  1900  James  became  assistant  private  secretary  to  Chamberlain  at  the  Colonial  Office. He  was  an  enthusiastic  proponent  of  the  Tariff  Reform  League.

James  had  an  interest  in  working  class  housing  and  encouraged  building  on  his  own  estate  by  low  site   rents.

James  held  on  to  his  seat  fairly  comfortably  against  Liberal  challengers  until  he  was  swept  away  in  the  landslide  of  1906. He  was  defeated  at  Greenock  in  January  1910.

He  died  in  1929  aged  75.

1218 John Keay

Constituency  : Elginshire  and  Nairnshire  1889-95

John  took  over  at  Elginshire  after  the  death  of  Charles  Anderson.

John  was  a  Scottish  minister's  son. He  was  educated  at  St  Andrew's. He  went  into  banking  and  went  over  to  Bengal  to  develop  the  cotton  trade  with  the  UK. In  Hyderabad  he  started  his  own  private  banking  and  cotton  spinning  businesses. He  returned  to  the  UK  in  1882  and  became  involved  with  the  British  committee  of  the  Indian  National  Congress. He  was  fiercely  opposed  to  the  annexation  of  Egypt  in  1882. He  unsuccessfully  contested  West  Newington  in  1886.

John  persistently  intervened  in  the  debates  on  the  Land  Purchase  Bill  of  1890  and  published   a  tract  Exposure  on  the  subject. It  earned  him  the  reputation  of  a  bore.

John  held  the  seat  fairly  comfortably  in  1892  but  was  narrowly  defeated  in  1895. He  was  unsuccessful  at  Tamworth  in  1906.

John  also  published  tracts  attacking the  Indian  government's  claim  to  Berar  Province, scaremongering  about  Russia  and  tariff  reform.

He  died  in  1909 aged  70.

1217 Alpheus Morton

Constituency  : Peterborough  1889-95, Sutherland  1906-18

Alpheus  recaptured  Peterborough  for  the  main  party  after  the  death  of  the  Liberal  Unionist   John  Wentworth-Fitzwilliam.  His  victory  took  most  people  by  surprise  and  he  interpreted  as  a  measure  of  support  for  conciliation  in  Ireland.

Alpheus  was  educated  privately  in  Canada. He  became  an  architect  and  surveyor. He  was  a member  of  the  City  of  London  Corporation  from  1882  until  his  death  41  years  later. He contested  Hythe in  1885  and  Christchurch  in  1886.

Alpheus   raised  the  issue  of  the  appointment  of  magistrates  in  1893, denouncing  their  selection  by  "class  cliques".

In  1895  Alpheus  was  defeated  by  the  Liberal  Unionist  Robert  Purvis. He  wanted  to  contest  it  again  in  1900  but  the  local  Liberal  Association  adopted  Halley  Stewart  instead. He  contested  Bath  in  1900  but  came  fourth  as  the  Tories  claimed  both  seats.

Alpheus  was  mainly  responsible  for  the  public  park  at  Finsbury  Crircus.

In  1906  Alpheus  ejected  the  Liberal  Unionist  Frederick  Leveson-Gower  at  Sutherland.

In  1911  Alpheus  spoke  against  the  new  Official  Secrets  Bill  which  placed  the  onus  on  trespassers  at  prohibited  places  to  explain  themselves  saying  "It  upsets  Magna  Carta  altogether  ".

In  1918  Alpheus  was  knighted. He  stood  down  in  1918. He  died  in  1923  aged  83.

1216 John Leng

Constituency : Dundee  1889-1906

John  took  over  at  Dundee  following  the  death  of  Joseph  Firth. He  was  unopposed.

John  was  originally  from  Hull. He  was  educated  at  Hull  Grammar  School  then  became  a  teacher. His  letters  to  the  Hull  Advertiser  attracted  the  editor's  attention  and    got  him  a  job  as  a  sub-editor.  In  1851   he  got  the  job  of  editor  of  the  bi-weekly  Dundee  Advertiser. The  proprietors  soon  made  him  a  partner. In  1861  it  became  a  daily  paper. John  kept  up  with  technological  innovations, bought  his  own  paper  mills  to  ensure  supply  and  introduced  new  titles.

John  was  an  advanced  radical  who  supported  Home  Rule, reduced  hours  and  employers'  liability.  He  was  knighted  in  1893. He  chaired  the  first  Parliamentary  Press  Committee  in  1895.

John  enjoyed  big  majorities  in  1892, 1895  and  1900.

John  was  a  keen  yachtsman.

John  retired  before  the  1906  election.

John  was  widely  travelled  in  America, Europe  and  India. He  died  while  on  a  third  visit  to  the  US   in  December  1906. He  was  78.

1215 John Morgan

Constituency : West  Carmarthenshire  1889-1910

John  replaced  the  deceased  Walter  Powell  at  West  Carmarthenshire. He  had  an  easy  victory  over  the  Conservative.

John  was  the  son  of  a  Presbyterian  theologist. He  was  educated  at  Tettenhall  College  and Cambridge. He  himself  was  a  Congregationalist. He  became  a  barrister.

John  was  unopposed  in  1892 and  comfortably  held  the  seat  against  a  Liberal  Unionist challenge  in  1895. Thereafter  he  was  unopposed  ( including  a  by-election  in  1908  when  he
became  Recorder  of  Swansea ) until  January  1910  when  he  crushed  a  Conservative  challenge.

John  was  subject  to  some  criticism  from  local  Liberal  papers  for  an  apparent  lack  of  zeal - he  never  learned  Welsh - but  his  position  remained  secure.

John  retired  at  the  December  1910  election  in  order  to  become  a  County  Court  judge. He  retired  from  that  role  in  1926.

He  died  in  1944  aged  83.

1214 Augustine Birrell

Constituency : West  Fife  1899-1900, Bristol  North  1906-18

Augustine  was  a  major  addition  to  the  Liberal  ranks, taking  over  at  West  Fife  after  the resignation  of  Robert  Bruce. This  of  course  made  him   neighbour  to  Asqquith  and  the  two men  were  great  fririends.

Augustine  was  the  son  of  a  Baptist  minister  from  Liverpool. He  was  educated  at  Amersham Hall  and  Cambridge. He  became  a  barrister. He  was  also  a  successful  writer  with  a collection of  essays  ,Obiter  Dicta,  published  in  1887. He  contested  Liverpool  Walton  in  1885  and Widnes  in  1886.

From  1896  to  1899  he  was  Professor  of  Comparative  Law  at  University  College  London.

In  1900  Augustine  switched  to  the  seat  of  Manchester North  but  was  defeated. In  1903  he produced  the  manual  Eight  Years  of  Tory  Government  to  help  Liberal  candidates.

In  1906  Augustine  entered  the  Cabinet  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Education.  He  produced an  Education  Bill  to  address  Nonconformist  grievances  with  the Education  Act  of  1902  but the  Lords  mauled  it  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  dropped. This  was  one  of  the  main catalysts  for  Asquith  and  Lloyd  George's  subsequent  assault  on  the  Lords.

Augustine  was  reluctantly  switched  to  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland  where  he  had  mixed fortunes. His   Irish  Council  Bill  of  1907  had  to  be  abandoned  due  to  opposition  from  both unionists  and Home  Rulers. His  attempts  to  discontinue  coercion  led  to  an  increase  in  cattle-driving and  the theft  of  the  Irish  corown  jewels  in  1907  embarrrassed  him. He  was  more successful  with  the Irish  Universities  Bill  of  1908  which  established  the  National  Uiniversity of  Ireland  and Queen's  University  Belfast. He  also  secured  the  passage  of  the Land  Purchase  ( Ireland ) Act   in  1909  which  allowed  the  Land  Commission  to  compulsorily  purchase.  After that  Augustine's effectiveness  was  compromised  by  the  serious  illness  of  his  wife  who  went insane  from  a brain  tumour. He  kept  this  private  but  his  dithering  in  dealing  with  industrial agitation  in Dublin  in  1913  has  been  attributed  to  this. She  died  in  1915/

Augustine  was  opposed  to  any   exclusion  of  Ulster  from  the  Home  Rule  Bill  and  offered  his resignation  at  Lloyd  George's  proposal  to  give  Ulster  a  stay  of  execution. Opposition  from both  Unionists  and  Nationalists  spared  him  having  to  go  through  with  it.

Augustine  was  known  to  be  lukewarm  towards  female  suffrage  and  as  a  consequence  was attacked  and  injured  by  a  mob  of  20  suffragettes  in  1910
      
Augustine  supported  Britain's  entry  into  World  War  One  and  retained  his  post  in  the  coalition government.   He  was  unhappy  about  conscription  but  did  not  join  Simon  in  resigning. Augustine  was  aware  of  the  activities  of  the  Sinn  Feiners  who  were  gaining  ground  as Ireland  feared  an  extension  of conscription  to  include  its  men. He  agreed  with  Redmond  that direct  suppression  was  dangerous  and  ignored  the  armed  parades  in  Dublin  and  stagings  of mock  attacks. He  therefore  took  full  responsibility  for  the  Easter  Rising and  resigned  the  day after  it  was  quashed. The Royal  Commission  on  the  rebellion  was critical  of  his  earlier reticence  in  tackling  the  rebels.

Augustine  did  not  defend  his  seat  in  1918  and  never  returned  to  Ireland. He  returned  to writing.  He  was  a  keen  bibliophile  and  once  said  "Any  ordinary  man  can.... surround  himself with  two  thousand  books.... and  thenceforward  have  at  least  one  place  in  the  world  in  which it  is  possible  to  be  happy".

He  died  in  1933  aged  83.

1213 Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen 2

Constituency : Rochester  1889-92

Edward  reclaimed  Rochester  from  the  Tories  who'd  held  the  seat  since  1885. He  won  by  75  votes.

Edward  was  the  son   and  heir  of  Baron  Brabourne  who'd  served  under  both  Palmerston  and  Gladstone  and  been  MP  for  nearby  Sandwich.  He  was  educated  at  Eton  and  Oxford. He  unsuccessfully  contested  Thanet  at  a  by-election  in  1888.

Perhaps  knowing  his  father's  death  was  imminent  Edward  did  not  contest  the  seat  in  1892 . He  succeeded  his  father  the  following  year.

Edward  never  spoke  in  either  House.

Edward  was  the  son-in-law  of  fellow  Liberal  MP, Wentworth  Beaumont.

he  died  in  1909  aged  52.

1212 John Bright 2

Constituency : Birmingham  Central  1889-95  ( Liberal Unionist ) , Oldham 1906-10

John  succeeded  his  illustrious  father  on  his  death  in  1889. John  had  been  happy  to  stay  in the  family  business  and  had  no  great  political  ambitions  but  was  persuaded  to  stand  by Joseph  Chamberlain  who  did  not  want  to  cede  another  seat  in  the  city  to  the  Conservatives. Some  local  Tories  were  outraged  by  Salisbury's  decision  to  back  Chamberlain. John  easily prevailed  over  a  Gladstonian  candidate.

John's  maiden  speech  was  in  favour  of  allowing  marriage  to  a  deceased  wife's  sister.

John  was  never  allowed  to  feel  comfortable  by  the  local  Conservatives  particularly  their  chief wirepuller  Satchell  Hopkins  and  threatened  to  resign  just  months  after  his  election.

John  stood  down  in  1895  and  gradually  moved  back  towards  the  main  party.  he  inherited  his father's  pacifist  views  and  strongly  opposed  the  Boer  War. He  stood  for  the  Liberals  in Montgomery  Boroughs  in  1900  then  was  elected  as  MP  for  Oldham  in  1906.

John  did  good  work  on  the  committee   discussing  the  Children  Act  of  1908.

John  retired  at  the  January  1910  election.

He  died  in  1924  aged  76.

1211 Mark Beaufoy

Constituency  : Kennington  1889-95

Mark  became  the  first  Liberal  victor  in  the  London  borough  of  Kennington.

Mark  was  from  a  military  family  and  was  educated  at  Eton  and  Cambridge. The  family  were also   established  in  business  as  vinegar  manufacturers. He  was  an  Anglican  who  in  1881 chaired  the  meeting  that  founded  the  Children's  Society. He  played  in  the 1879 FA  Cup  Final for  Old  Etonians  when  they  beat  Clapham  Rovers  1-0.  H  contested  Kennington  in  1886  falling  430  votes  short.  

Mark  supported  the  eight  hour  day  and  introduced  it  in  his  own  plant  at  Lambeth. He  was generally  opposed  to  temperance  causes.

In  1895 Mark  was  defeated, his  cause  not  helped  by  a  challenge  from  an  Independent  Liberal.

Mark  was  a  keen  shot  and  in  1902  composed  some  verses  on  gun  safety  for  his  son  which  rapidly  became  popular  as  A  Father's  Advice   although  their  author  was  not  always  credited. He  was  also  keen  on  dogs  and  became  chairman  of  the  Kennel  Club  in  his  last  years.

He  died  in  1922  aged  68.

1210 Sir John Kinloch

Constituency : Eastern  Perthshire  1889-1903

John  took  over  at  Eastern  Perthshire  after  the  death  of  Robert  Menzies.

John  was  the  grandson of  George  Kinloch  a  former  MP for  Dundee.He  was  a  baronet

John  resigned  his  seat  in  1903.

He  died  in  1910  aged  61.

1209 John Wilson

Constituency : Glasgow  Govan  1889-1900

John  became  the  first  Liberal  to  succeed  in  Glasgow  Govan.

John  was  educated  at  Paisley  Grammar  School  and  Ross  Academy.  He  made  a  business  fortune  in  tube  manufacturing  and  brass  and  bell  foundries. He  was  also  involved  in  banking

John  expressed  disappointment  with  the  Local  Government  ( Scotland )  Bill  of  1889. He  supported  the  local  veto  on  liquor  sales.

John  stood  down  in  1900.

He  died  in  1905  aged  77  after  being  ill  for  some  time .

1208 Mark Oldroyd

Constituency  : Dewsbury  1888-1902

Mark  took  over  at  Dewsbury  after  the  resignation  of  Sir  John  Simon. He  scored  a  huge  majority  in  a  seat  which  had  usually  produced  rival  Liberal  candidates.

Mark  was  from  Yorkshire  and  educated  at  Batley  Grammar  School. He  initially  trained  as  a minister  at  New  College  London  but  did  not  complete  the  course  and  went  to  work  in  the family  woollen   firm. The  business  greatly  expanded  in  his  hands. He  also  owned  mines. He  became  Mayor  of Dewsbury. He  was  a  local  philanthropist. He  was  a  Nonconformist.

Mark's  first  parliamentary  speech  protested  against  the  treatment  of  political  prisoners  in Ireland.

Mark  supported  manhood  suffrage, payment  of MPs  and  temperance  reform. However  he  voted  against  the  Eight  Hour  Day. in  later  contests  he  faced  an  ILP  challenger.

In  1894  Mark  came  out  in  support  of  the  living  wage  in  a  public  lecture  saying  "A  living  wage  must  be  sufficient  to  maintain  the  worker  in  the  highest  state  of  industrial  efficiency ,  with  decent  surroundings  and  sufficient  leisure ".

In  1902  Mark  resigned   his  seat  to  concentrate  on  his  business  interests. He  was  also  in  poor  health  .He  was  knighted  in  1909.

He  died  in  1927  aged  84.

1207 William Morgan

Constituency : Merthyr  Tydfil  1888 - 1900

William  took  over  at  Merthyr  after  the  death  of  Henry  Richard. He  stood  as  an  "Independent  Liberal"  against  the  official  nominee  of  the  Merthyr  Liberal  Association  which  broke  up  as  a  result  of  the  by-election.

William  was  a  clergyman's  son  from  Monmouth. He  became  a  solicitor,  then  coal  owner   through  speculation  in  mining  shares   and  company  promoter. In  1887  he  bought  the  gold
mine  at  Gwynfynydd. He  spent  some  time  in  Australia  and  also  had  investments  in  China.  He  was  a  Nonconformist.

Unlike  his  predecessor  William  was  on  the  imperialist  right  of  the  party  and  did  not  get  on with  his  fellow  coal-owning  Liberal in  the  seat , David  Thomas.  Thomas  was  particularly angered  by  his  colleague's  support  for  the  Boer  War. In  1900  Thomas  intimated  to  his supporters  that  they  should  give  their  second  vote  to  the  Labour  candidate  Keir  Hardie instead  and  William  was  defeated.

William  supported  Welsh  disestablishment. Most  of  his  parliamentary  contributions  were on  mining  issues.

William  was  in  a  long  dispute  with  the  Crown  Estate  Commissioners  over  royalty  payments  for  his  gold  extraction  and  finally  closed  the  mine  in  1916.

He  died  in  1924  aged  80.

1206 John Sinclair

Constituency : Ayr  Burghs  1888-90

John  wrested  Ayr  Burghs  back  from  the  Liberal  Unionists  following  the  death  of  Richard Campbell. He  won  a  tight  contest  by  53  votes. He  attributed  his  victory  to  campaigning  on  the  issue  of  injustices  in  Ireland.

John  was  a  minister  of  some  kind.

John  had  contested  the  seat  in  1886  against  Campbell  but  didn't  come  close.

John  resigned  his  seat  in  1890.

He  died  in  1892  aged  50.

1205 Francis Evans

Constituency  : Southampton  1888-95, 1896-1900,  Maidstone  1901-06

Francis  reclaimed  one  of  the  Southampton  seats  from  the  Tories  in  a  by-election. He  was actually  out  of  the  country  at  the  time  and  his  campaign  was  conducted  by  his  wife.

Francis  was  from  Lancashire  and  was  the  brother-in-law  of   Sir  Charles  Seely . He  was educated  at  a  Moravian  school  in  Germany. He  became  a  civil  engineer  and  worked  on railways  both  here  and  in  Brazil. He  accompanied  his  father  to  America  and  got  involved  in the  banking  business.  He  later  moved  into  shipping  and  had  substantial  business  interests  in Newfoundland.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Union  Steamship  Co.  and  a  director  of  the Southampton  Dock  Company. He  was  drawn  into  politics  through a  friendship with  Gladstone.

Francis  was  pushed into  third  place  in  1895  but  regained  the  seat  when   the  Tory  victor  was unseated  on  petition  for  treating  voters. Francis  narrowly  came  through  at  the  by-election  with a  majority  of  35. He  lost  again  in  1900  but  came  back  in  at  Maidstone  after  another  voided election.

Francis  was  created  a  baronet  in  1902.  He  then  became  one  of  the  few  Liberal  losers  in 1906.

 Francis  was  a  right  wing  Liberal  who  campaigned  on  "The Unity  of  Empire".

 He  died  in  1907  aged  66,  of  angina  pectoris.

1204 John Phillipps

Constituency : Mid  Lanarkshire  1888 - 94,  Pembrokeshire  1898 - 1908

John  took  over  at  Mid  Lanarkshire  after  the  resignation  of  Stephen  Mason. He  was  chosen after  the  local  Liberal  Association  had  rejected  the  miner  Keir  Hardie  as  their  candidate. Hardie  decided  to  stand  as  "Independent  Labour"  but  received  a  derisory  vote, in  fact  less than  John's  majority  over  the  Tory  candidate.

John  was  the  son  of  a  vicar - baronet. He  was  educated  at  Felsted  School  and  Oxford  and became  a  barrister. He  contested  Devizes  in  1886.

John  decided  to  stand  down  in  1894  but  four  years  later  stood  again  at  the  Pembrokeshire by-election  where  he  had  a  quite  easy  victory. He  was  unopposed  in  1900  and  brushed  aside the  Tories  in  1906. He  supported  Lloyd  George's  obstructionist  tactics . He  later  became president  of  the  Welsh  National  Liberal  Council.

John  was  created  Baron  St  Davids  in  1908 , later  upgraded  to  a  Viscount. John  had  never spoken  in  the  Commons  but  was  a  relatively  frequent  speaker  in  the  Lords.  In  1920  he headed  a  special  Cabinet  committee  on  public  works  to  alleviate  unemployment.

John's  wife  Nora  was  a  Liberal  feminist  and  Welsh  nationalist.

He  died  in  1938  aged  77.

1203 David Randell

Constituency : Gower  1888-1900

David  succeeded  the  death  of  Frank  Yeo  at  Gower  by  610  votes.

David  was  the  son  of  a  merchant  and  was   educated  at  Llanelly  and  Wandsworth  and  became  a  solicitor.  He  was  a  Methodist . He  worked  with  the local  tinplate  workers  who  made  up  much  of  the  local  electorate. He  did  not  take  cases  on behalf  of  an  employer  against  workmen  and  often  represented  trade  unionists..  He  was  a  radical  Welsh  Nationalist  committed  to Welsh  disestablishment. He  was  selected  after  Sir  Horace  Davey, the original  choice , noted  the feeling  in  favour  of  a  local  candidate.

In  his  election  address  David  called  for  manhood  suffrage, amendments  to  Employers  Liabiliy, payment  of  MPs  and  the  establishment  of  a  Welsh  university.

David  was  re-elected  in  1892  with  a  majority  of  over  4,000  votes.

David  was  a  friend  of  William  Abraham.

David  retired  on  health  grounds  before  the  1900  election. There  was  some  speculation  that he  might  cross  to  the  I.L.P.

He  died  in  1912  aged  57.

1202 David Thomas

Constituency : Merthyr  Tydfil  1888-1910,  Cardiff  1910

David  replaced  Charles  Thomas  who  had  resigned the  seat.

David  was  the  son  of  coal  owner  Samuel  Thomas, a  self-made  man. His  father  was  a  Welsh  Baptist  but  David  was  never  greatly  interested  in  religion.  He  was  educated  at  Manila  Hall, Bristol  and  Cambridge. He  became  an  Anglican  upon  marriage  in  1882. He  was  in  delicate  health  through  rheumatic  fever  but  enjoyed  rowing  , boxing  and  swimming  when  able.

David  supported  the  Cymru  Fydd   movement  but  led  the  resistance  to  its  merger  with  the South  Wales  Liberal  Federation  which  put  him  at  odds  with  Lloyd  George  who  wanted  a  national  federation.  He  supported  disestablishment  of  the  Welsh  Church  but  unlike  the  North  Welsh  MPs  wanted  the  revenues  allocated  on  a  population  basis. He  protested  at  Rosebery's  downgrading  of  the  policy  as  a priority  in  1894.

From  1900  he  shared  the  seat  with  Keir  Hardie, an  interesting  combination  since  David's  business  activities  didn't  endear  him  to  the  trade  unionists. However  David  had  intimated  that  his  supporters  should  give  their  second  vote  to  Hardie  rather  than  the  sitting  MP  William  Morgan .

 David  had  greatly  expanded  his  father's  business  and  become  a  rich  landowner.   In  1890  he  bitterly  opposed  the  inclusion  of  the  eight  hour  day for  miners  in  the  Newcastle  Programme.   In  1898 his  Cambrian  Collieries  worked  through  the  great  strike  of  that  year. From  1901  to  1906  he  took  a  back  seat  through  ill  health. In  1908  he  formed  the  Cambrian  Combine  merging  four  different  collieries  to  consolidate  and  regulate  the  trade. He  was  enraged  by  the strike  of  1910  and  his  actions  in  trying  to  break  it  led  to  the  Tonypandy  Riots  that  year. His  colleague  Stuart  Rendel  described  him  as  a  Tory  in  disguise.

David  surprisingly  stepped  down  in  January  1910  to  contest  marginal  Cardiff. Perhaps  he  didn't  expect  to  win  for  he  retired  from  politics  at  the  December  election.

In  1915  David  and  his  daughter  were  amongst  the survivors  of  the  sinking  of  the   H.M.S.  Lusitania. 

Despite  their  earlier  feuds  and  David's  pacifist  leanings, Lloyd  George  brought  him  back  into  politics  with  a  seat  in  the  Lords  as  Baron  Rhondda  in  1916.  Over  the  next  two  years  he  acted  as emissary  to  the  United  States, President  of  the  Local  Government  Board  and  Minister  of Food  Control  in  which  capacity  he  introduced  an  effective  rationing  system.

David  bought  estates  which  made  him  a  substantial  landowner  in  South  Wales  where he  hunted  and  bred  prize  cattle. In  contrast  to  his  reputation  as a  coal  owner  he  was  known  as  a  benevolent  landlord. In  his  personal  life  he  was  austere ; the  trade  unionist  William  Brace  said  of  him  "Rhondda  has  the  income  of  a  Duke  and  the  tastes  of  a  Peasant ".

David  was  upgraded  to  a  Viscount  in  1918  but  the  strains  of  his  war  role  took  their  toll  and  he did  not  see  the  end  of  it.  He  died  in  July  1918  aged  62.

1201 Godfrey Samuelson

 Constituency :  Forest  of  Dean  1887-92

Godfrey  succeeded  Thomas  Blake  who  had  resigned.It  was  a  case  of  third  time  lucky  for  Godfrey  who  had  contested  Tewkesbury  in  1885  and  Frome  in  1886.

Godfrey  was  the  son  of  Bernhard  Samuelson  , the  MP  for  Banbury. Godfrey  was  educated  at  Rugby  and  Oxford. He  became  private  secretary  to  Mundella

Godfrey  asked  a  few  questions  on  an  eclectic  range  of  matters  in  Parliament. He  stood  down  in  1892.

Godfrey  was  a  lukewarm  supporter  of  female  suffrage.

He  died  in  1941  aged  78.

1200 Thomas Bolitho

Constituency : St  Austell  1887-1900  ( Liberal Unionist )

Thomas  was  elected  unopposed  to  fill  the  seat  after  John  St  Aubyn  was  elevated  to  the  peerage.

Thomas  was  educated  at  Harrow. He  was  a  director  of  Barclays  Bank  and  the  Great  Western  Railway  and  owner  of  the  Consolidated  Tin  Smelting  Company. He  was  a  local  benefactor.

Thomas  was  unopposed  in  1892  and  1895. He  stood  down  in  1900.

Thomas  was  President  of  the  Institute  of  Bankers  from  1893  to  1895. He  got  married  in  Truro  Cathedral  in  1893.

Thomas  travelled  extensively,

He  died  in  1915  aged  80.

1199 William Ballantine

Constituency  : Coventry  1887-95

William  took  Coventry  from  the  Tories  following   their  man's  elevation  to the  peerage. He  had  a  narrow  majority  over  Eaton's  son.

William  had  unsuccessfully  contested  Tewkesbury  in  1885. He  was  a  barrister.

William's  parliamentary  contributions  were largely  concerned  with  miscarriages  of  justice.

William  was  re-elected  in  1892  but  defeated  in  1895.

William  was  once  spotted  by  Frederick  Leveson  Gower  travelling  to  France  with  a  pretty  young  woman  introduced  as  his  neice  and  then  again  with  a  different  "neice". Gower  remarked  to  his  son  "he  changes  them too  often".

He  died  in  1911  aged  64.

1198 Halley Stewart

Constituency  : Spalding  1887-95, Greenock 1906-10

Halley  recorded  the  second  Liberal  by-election  gain of  the  Parliament   when  he  took  Spalding  from  the  Tories  when  his  predecessor became  Earl  of  Winchelsea.  His  opponent  was  an  admiral  with  little  knowledge  of  agricultural  matters  which  told  against  him  in  the  campaign.  Halley  campaigned  for  allotments  and  a  fortnight  after  his  victory  the  Tories  introduced  their  own  Allotments  Bill.

Halley  was  the  son  of  a  Congregationalist  minister. He  was  educated  at  his  father's  schools. From  1868  onwards  he  was  an  unordained  pastor. He  started  work  as  a  bank  clerk  then  in  1870  set  up  a  business  venture  crushing  and  refining  oil  seed. He  also  edited  the  newspaper  Hastings  and  St  Leonards  Times  from  1877  to  1883. In  the  1880s  he  became  involved  in  politics  as  an  election  agent  and  spoke  in  support  of  his  friend  William  Ingram  at  Boston. He  was  informally  adopted  as  the  second candidate  for  Boston  until  it  was  reduced  to  one  member. He  stood  unsuccessfully  for  Spalding  in  1885  and  1886.

Halley  was  an  advanced  Liberal . He  supported  female  suffrage , land  reform, abolition  of  hereditary  peers  and  secular  education ( he  was  a  former  president  of  the  Liberation  Society ). He  was  an  enthusiastic   Home  Ruler  and  did  a  lecture  tour  of  Ireland.

In  1900  Halley  was  adopted  as  Liberal  candidate  for  Peterborough  but  was  unsuccessful. He  returned  for  Greenock  in  1906  but  stood  down  at  the  January  1910  election. He  was  on  Asquith's  list  of  potential  peers  for  the  House  of  Lords.

Halley  devoted  the  rest  of  his  long  life  to  philanthropy. In  1924  he  founded  the  Halley  Stewart  Trust  for  Research  towards  the  Christian  Ideal  in  all  Social  Life  though  it  largely  ended up  financing  scientific  and  medical  research. It  sponsored  the  work  of  Victor  Appleton  whose  work  pioneered  radar. It  is  still  going  and  supports  scientific  research  in  the  UK  and  Africa.

He  died  in  1937  of  flu  and  bronchitis  aged  99.