1404 John Gibbons

Constituency : Wolverhampton  South 1898-1900  ( Liberal  Unionist )

John's  election  marked  the  end  of  an  era  as  he  succeeded  Britain's  longest-serving MP  ever, Charles  Villiers  who  had  died  aged  96. He  was  the  last  MP  to  have  served  under  William  IV. Villiers  had  been  unopposed  since  the  seat's  creation  in  1885  despite  his  switch  to  the  Liberal  Unionists. John  won  by  111  votes.

John  was  the  son  of  a  manufacturing  chemist  from  Wolverhampton. He  was  an  engineering  surveyor  who  had  a  country  estate  in  Staffordshire. He  sat  on  Staffordshire  County Council.

John  made  little  impression  in  Parliaent  and  did  not  contest  the  seat  in  1900.

He  died  in  1919  aged  82.