1411 John Middlemore

Constituency  : Birmingham  North  1899-1912  ( Liberal  Unionist ), 1912-8  ( Conservative ) 

John  took  over  for  the  Liberal  Unionists  after  the  resignation  of  William  Kenrick.

John  was  the  son  of  a  leather  merchant. He  was  educated  at  Edgbaston  Proprietary  School  then  worked  in  the  family  business . He  later  obtained  a  degree  in  medicine  while  working  for  his  uncle  in  Boston, Mass.. In  1872  he  founded  the  Middlemore  Children's  Emigration  Home  to  arrange  for  destitute  children  to  start  new  lives  in  Canada  or  Australia.

John's  maiden  speech  called  for  the  school  leaving  age  to  be  raised. In  his  latter  years  in  Parliament,  John  seemed  primarily  concerned  with  naval  matters.

John  stood  down  in  1918  and  was  created  a  baronet  the  following  year.

He  died  in  1924  aged  80 . A  Charitable  Trust  in  his  name  still  gives  grants  out  to  organisations  working  with  disadvantaged  youths.