Sunday, 31 December 2017
1780 Francis Neilson
Constituency : Hyde 1910-16
Francis took over from Charles Schwann at Hyde.
Francis was originally Francis Butters from Birkenhead , the son of a restaurant owner. He was educated at Liverpool Institute for Boys . At 18, he emigrated to the USA where, after working at a number of odd jobs, he became a director and playwright in New York. He also became a follower of Henry George. He came back to London where he restructured the national opera at Covent Garden. He contested the Newport ( Shropshire ) seat in 1906 and 1908.
Francis was interested in land reform and made frequent visits to support by-election candidates. His major contributions in the House was a speech in support of the land proposals in the People's Budget.
Francis wrote most of the play A Butterfly on a Wheel for which his fellow MP Edward Hemmerde took most of the credit.
Francis was opposed to Britain's entrance into World War One. In 1915 he published the scathing How Diplomats Made War . The following year, he resigned his seat and returned to the USA.
Francis married a meat packing heiress and became a US citizen in 1921. They were noted arts patrons and public benefactors. He founded The Freeman, a journal of literary opinion and criticism. In the thirties he became interested in archaeology and sponsored a major excavation in the Near East.
Francis went blind in later years. He died in 1961 aged 94. His ashes were interred in Liverpool Cathedral to which he'd been a benefactor.
Saturday, 30 December 2017
1779 Frederick Hindle
Constituency : Darwen 1910
Frederick took Darwen from the Tories having failed by 25 votes in 1906.
Frederick was defeated in December.
He died in 1925 aged 77. His son Frederick had a similarly brief spell as Darwen's MP in 1923-4.
Friday, 29 December 2017
1778 Richard Denman
Constituency : Carlisle 1910-18, Leeds Central 1929-45 ( Labour )
Richard took over from Frederick Chance at Carlisle.
Richard was a descendant of Baron Denman. His elder brother was Governor-General of Australia. He was educated at Westminster School .In 1905 he became private secretary to Sydney Buxton the Postmaster-General.
After his election , Buxton appointed Richard his PPS at the Board of Trade. In 1911 he became chairman of London Juvenile Advisory Committee.
Richard initially joined the Union of Democratic Control and wrote a pamphlet "On The Road To Peace" which criticised the Church of England's jingoism. It was picked up by the German press and Richard was attacked as being pro-Grman and de-selected by his constituency association. In response to this , he fought in World War One as a lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. While in training, he voted against conscription. He was appalled by what he saw at the Front and attempted to resign his commission. He also tried to get the soldier MPs recalled to Parliament.
Richard joined Lloyd George's government as PPS to Herbert Fisher at the Board of Education then to Rowland Protheroe at Agriculture.
Richard stood down in 1918. He stood for Newcastle-upon-Tyne West as an Asquithian . He came a poor third but allowed Labour to take the seat. He returned to Carlisle in 1923 but came a distant third again.
In 1924 Richard joined Labour and was elected to Leeds Central in 1929. He stuck with MacDonald and held his seat in 1931 and 1935 as a National Labour candidate. He was Second Church Estates Commissioner between 1931 and 1943.
Richard stood down in 1945 and was created a baronet. His son failed to succeed him as a Conservative candidate.
He died in 1957 aged 81.
Thursday, 28 December 2017
1777 Sir Thomas Barclay
Constituency : Blackburn 1910
Sir Thomas took the second Blackburn seat - alongside Labour's Philip Snowden- from the Tories and in fact topped the poll.
Thomas was born in Dunfermline. He was educated at Cupar Academy and University College London. He worked as a journalist for The Times from their Paris office before becoming a barrister. He originally aligned himself with the Liberal Unionists. He was deputy chairman of the International law Association and worked in France as chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on ten occasions between 1905 and 1928.
Thomas did not find parliamentary life congenial. His only contribution was an argument against tariff reform. He stood don in December.
Thomas published a number of works on international law and economics.
He died in 1941 aged 87.
Tuesday, 26 December 2017
1776 Harold Baker
Constituency : Accrington 1910-18
Harold took over from Joseph Leese at Accrington.
Harold served as Financial Secretary to the War Office from 1912 to 1914.He succeeded Lord Portsmouth who had him blackballed at the Brooks club.
Harold was a noted opponent of female suffrage; the NUWSS plotted with Labour to try and unseat him.
On the outbreak of World War One, Harold was appointed a civilian member of the Army Council.
In 1918 Harold came second to a couponed Conservative. He was pushed into third in 1922.
He died in 1960 aged 83.
1775 Edward Shortt
Constituency : Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1910-18, Newcastle-upon-Tyne West 1918-22
Edward won back the second Newcastle seat after a 1908 by-election win for the Tories due to the intervention of an SDF candidate..
Edward was a vicar's son. He was educated at Durham School and Durham University. He became a barrister. He was Recorder of Sunderland from 1907 to 1918. He stood in the by-election.
Edward was a mild-mannered, somewhat colourless man who attracted littler attention in his early years in Parliament.
In 1917 Edward chaired a select committee to review the operation of the Military Service Acts. In May 1918, Lloyd George appointed him Chief Secretary of Ireland to oversee the introduction of military conscription there. At one point Edward supported a proposal to persuade soldiers to enlist in the French army but it was never implemented. He warned Lloyd George not to try to postpone home rule once the armistice was signed.
Edward was appointed Home Secretary in 1919 in the midst of a threatened police strike which he resolved. He was generally popular with the police. He was a liberal Home Secretary who reprieved a number of death sentences but he was unpopular for appointing a number of his colleagues from the north eastern circuit to important posts. In 1919 he chaired a Cabinet Committee on the industrial unrest. In 1922 he was attacked by "Diehard" Tories over the dismissal of the director of special intelligence Sir Basil Thompson a known hardliner over Ulster.
Edward stood down in 1922.
In 1929 Edward was appointed President of the British Board of Film Censors and was quite zealous in the role, banning over 100 films.
In 1935 Edward founded the security firm Nightwatch Services which became Securicor.
He died later that year aged 73.
Monday, 25 December 2017
1774 Penry Williams
Constituency : Middlesbrough 1910-18, Middlesbrough East 1918-22, 1923-4
Penry took over from Joseph Havelock Wilson at Middlesbrough.
Penry was the son of a Cleveland ironmaster. His brother Aneurin was elected for Plymouth at the same time.
Penry served in World War One and became a lieutenant-colonel.
In 1918, Penry was issued with the coupon but repudiated it. He had an easy win in a straight fight with Labour. He attended the first "Wee Free" meeting and was nominated to the reunion committee in 1919.
In 1922, Penry was pushed into third place as the Conservatives entered the contest and won. In 1923, Penry completely reversed the result but came third again in 1924 as Labour's Ellen Wilkinson took the seat.
Penry's last speech in the Commons pleaded for public works to releive unemployment in the north east.
In 1929, Penry came a good second in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
He died in 1945 aged 78.
Sunday, 24 December 2017
1773 Godfrey Palmer
Constituency : Jarrow 1910-22
Godfrey reclaimed Jarrow from Labour's Perer Curran who had won a by-election in 1907 when an Irish Nationalist candidate split the vote. Godfrey won by 67 votes.
Godfrey was the son of the former Jarrow MP Charles Palmer the shipowner. He was educated at Eton and in Paris. Besides his stake in the family business. He was chairman of a chemical company and managing director of a colliery.
Godfrey spoke rarely in Parliament.
Godfrey slightly increased his majority in December with Labour slipping to third place. He received the coupon in 1918 and had a comfortable majority over Labour.
Godfrey served as PPS to Sir Eric Geddes from 1917 to 1920.
Godfrey stood down in 1922.
He died in 1933 aged 54.
Saturday, 23 December 2017
1772 Harold Elverston
Constituency : Gateshead 1910-18
At Gateshead the local Liberals refused to accept John Johnson's defection to Labour and put Harold up against him. Johnson finished bottom of the poll despite the support of the Irish nationalists. He was unpopular with the miners because of his support for the Eight Hours Act.
Harold came from Stockport. He was a newspaper proprietor and printer . He was a member of Manchester City Council and the executive of the National Liberal Federation. He was Secretary of the Lancashire and Cheshire Liberal Federation from 1906 to 1925. He stood for Worcester in a by-election in 1908.
Harold was knighted in 1911.
In 1914 Harold questioned the amount of soldiers' equipment that was coming from private charity.
In 1918 Harold came third behind a couponed Conservative and Labour.
In 1921 , Harold was elected to Cheshire County Council.
Harold was a director of Mutual Finance Limited.
He died in 1941 aged 74.
Friday, 22 December 2017
1771 Evan Hayward
Constituency : South East Durham 1910-18, Seaham 1918-22
Evan took South East Durham from the Liberal Unionist, Frederick Lambton , who'd been unopposed in 1906.
Evan was born in Gloucestershire. He was educated at Katherine Lady Berkeley's Grammar School.
Evan served in France during World War One and became a major.
In 1918 Evan was sent the coupon but repudiated it. This did not provoke the Tories into standing a candidate and Evan had a comfortable victory.
In 1922 Evan came a poor third.
He died in 1958 aged 81.
Thursday, 21 December 2017
1770 Ignatius Lincoln
Constituency : Darlington 1910
Ignatius unseated the Liberal Unionist Herbert Pease in a seat the Liberals hadn't contested since 1898. He won by 29 votes.
Ignatius was born Ignaz Trebitsch in Hungary to an Orthodox Jewish family. He was a drama student there but fled to London after the police investigated him over stolen gold watches in 1897 and converted to Christianity. He trained as a Lutheran missionary in Germany and operated in Canada until 1903 when he fell out with his masters over pay. He changed his name by deed poll in 1904 and became a British national in 1909. He became a curate in Kent after meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury but then failed his theological exams. He then met the millionaire philanthropist Seebohm Rowntree and became his private secretary. Rowntree sponsored a fact-finding tour of Europe to come up with new ideas for social policy. Rowntree loaned him £10,000 and secured him the Liberal nomination for Darlington in 1909 before his citizenship had come through. Opponents chanted "cocoa cocoa" at him when he campaigned in the town.
Ignatius's maiden speech was a long defence of Free Trade.
Ignatius did not have the financial means to support himself as an MP and details of his murky past were coming to light . He was obliged to stand down in December when Pease recaptured the seat.
Ignatius went to Romania to try and get involved in the oil business. At the start of World War one he offered his services to the government as a spy; when they rejected him he turned to the Germans. They did briefly use him but he was soon uncovered and he fled to the USA where he published a wildly exaggerated account of his exploits. When the USA joined the war Britain was able to extradite him. He was prosecuted for fraud and served three years in Pankhurst. He was deported on release.
Ignatius went to Germany and fell in with the extreme right. He took part in the Kapp Putsch and was appointed press censor in the new government. He fled from Germany when the putsch collapsed and became involved in the White International movement only to sell information to security forces. He was forced to leave Europe and ended up in China where he became a Buddhist monk. In 1925 his son was hanged for murder . In 1931 he became an abbot in Shaghai but used his position to enrich himself and seduce nuns. From 1937 onwards he began working for the Japanese who supported his failed bid to become the Dalai Lama.
In 1943, Ignatius wrote to Hitler protesting against his anti-semitic policies. The response to his letter was a request that the Japanese poison him when they captured Shanghai in 1943. This might have been behind his death from stomach trouble that year aged 64.
Wednesday, 20 December 2017
1769 Sir Henry Havelock-Allan
Constituency : Bishop Auckland 1910-18
Sir Henry took over from James Paulton at Bishop Auckland.
Henry was the son of the former Liberal Unionist MP and baronet of the same name. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge.
Henry was PPS to Edwin Montagu from 1911 to 1914.
Henry joined the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought in France during World War One. He was wounded in 1916. He rose to the rank of Major.
Henry stood down in 1918.
He died in 1953 aged 81.
Tuesday, 19 December 2017
1768 Edgar Jones
Constituency : Merthyr Tydfil 1910-18, Merthyr 1918-22
Edgar took over from David Thomas at Merthyr Tydfil. He topped the poll despite a challenge from the former MP William Morgan, standing as an Independent Liberal.
Edgar was the son of a Baptist minister. He was educated at the University of Wales and Cardiff University College. He became a barrister. He could speak Welsh. He supported Lloyd George's revolt over the Education Act in 1903.
During World War One Edgar served as head of the Priorities Division at the Ministry of Munitions.
Edgar held on as a couponed Liberal in 1918.
Edgar stood down in 1922. He stood for Salford South in 1923 and then Gower in 1931 where he came a close second in a two-cornered fight.
He died in 1962 aged 83.
Monday, 18 December 2017
1767 Henry Haydn Jones
Constituency : Merioneth 1910-45
Henry took over from Osmond Williams at Merioneth.
Henry was a schoolmaster's son from Ruthin. He was educated at the Board School and Academy at Towyn. He joined the ironmongery business of his uncles and eventually became its managing director. He became one of the first members of Merionethshire County Council in 1889. He bought a slate quarry and the Talyllyn Railway in 1909 to save the local area from unemployment. He is immortalised in the railway books of Rev W Awdry as Sir Handel Brown, owner of the Skarloey line. He was a Presbyterian.
Henry was unopposed in December 1910.
Henry disliked the idea of conscription but was eventually persuaded to support the government.
Never the most robust individual, Henry was minded to retire in 1918 : "I have a happy home, heaps of work and politics are not inviting to a man who plays the game cleanly". He was persuaded to stay on and despite not having the coupon., he was elected unopposed.He was the only Asquithian to hold a Welsh seat after the 1918 election. He wanted the coalition to collapse.
Henry never liked Lloyd George and was sceptical about the new policies launched in 1929 preferring to stand as a moderate. He was no more convinced by the New Deal policies of 1935. Throughout the thirties he was pessimistic about both the nation and the state of politics. In 1934 he tried to persuade Ellis Davies not to defect to Labour,
Henry held on comfortably at every election until he stood down in 1945.
Henry was knighted in 1937.
Henry wrote a number of hymn tunes.
He died in 1950 aged 86.
Saturday, 16 December 2017
1766 James Summers
Constituency : Flint 1910-13
James took over from Thomas Idris at Flint.
James was a Lancastrian ironmaster. He sat on both Stalybridge Town Council and Flintshire County Council of which he was chairman from 1904 to 1910.
James supported Disestablishment of the Welsh Church and Home Rule.
He died in 1913 aged 63.
1765 William Younger
Constituency : Stamford 1895-1906 ( Conservative ) , Peebles and Selkirk 1910
William took over from the Master of Elibank who had switched seats to Midlothian.
William was the son of a Scottish landowner . He was educated at Oxford. He joined the army in 1884 but left four years later. He stood for the Liberal Unionists at Orkney and Shetland in 1892 then was elected for the Conservatives at Stamford in 1895. He stood down in 1906. By 1910 he was a Liberal.
Most of William's parliamentary contributions as a Liberal were about horses.
William stood down in December. He was created a baronet the following year.
He died in 1937 aged 75.
Friday, 15 December 2017
1764 James Millar
Chart entered : St Andrews Burghs 1910, Northeast Lanarkshire 1911-18, East Fife 1922-4, 1929-33 ( from 1931 Liberal National )
James unseated the Liberal Unionist William Anstruther -Gray in this ultra-tight marginal by 38 votes.
James was a doctor's son from Edinburgh. He had family connections to Duncan MaClaren and John Bright. He was educated at Edinburgh University and became a barrister. He had a large practice in Scotland but operated in England as well.
In the December 1910 election, Anstruther-Gray regained the seat by 49 votes.
In 1911 James took over from Thomas Wilson at Northeast Lanarkshire.
James was a frequent contributor on agriculture and fisheries.
In 1913 James sat on a committee of experts looking into tropical diseases.
James's seat was abolished in 1918. He stood for Motherwell but came second to the couponed Conservative.
In 1922, James regained Asquith's old seat of East Fife for the Liberals. He was defeated in 1924 but regained it in 1929 despite Labour contesting it for the first time.
In 1931 James was returned unopposed. He was not one of the founders of the Liberal Nationals but the local Conservatives were satisfied that he was a loyal supporter of the government. He stayed put when Samuel's Liberals crossed the floor in 1932 and was happy thereafter to identify as a Liberal National.
James was knighted in 1932. He died later that year of phlebitis. His son Ian stood for the Liberals in the Kinross and West Perthshire by-election whih returned Alec Douglas-Home To Parliament.
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
1763 William Hunter
Constituency : Glasgow Govan 1910-11
William took Glasgow Govan from the Tories as the Labour vote decreased.
William was the son of a ship-owner from Ayr. He was educated at Ayr Academy and Edinburgh University. He became a Scottish barrister.
In April 1910 William was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland.
In 1911 William became a judge as Lord Hunter and resigned his seat.
William chaired the Committee of Inquiry into the Amritsar Massacre.
He died in 1957 aged 91.
1762 John Whitehouse
Constituency : Mid Lanarkshire 1910-18
John took over from James Caldwell at Mid Lanarkshire. He had a slim majority due to the intervention of a Labour candidate.
John was the son of a brass founder . He was educated at the Midland Institute and Mason Science College. He was a Quaker and a follower of Ruskin. In 1894 he became a clerk at Cadburys and lived in the model village of Bournville. He was Treasurer to the Birmingham Technical Education Committee. In 1896 he founded the Ruskin Society of Birmingham, organising coach trips and lectures. He founded and edited its Saint George journal. In the early twentieth century he had a number of posts relating to philanthropic youth work and new settlements.
Once in Parliament, John acted as PPS first to Charles Masterman ,then to Lloyd George at the Exchequer. He served on a number of committees concerned with education and child welfare issues.
In 1914 John bought a house on the Isle of Wight . This later became Bembridge House , an unorthodox boarding school. He became its Warden and ran the school on Ruskinian principles.
John fell out with the government over conscription in 1915 and resigned his post . He was secretary of a deputation to Asquith on conscription in December 1915. He became a supporter of conscientious objectors.
John stood at Hamilton in 1918 as an Independent Liberal and came fourth with just 3 % of the vote.
John stood for Hanley in 1922 and came a respectable third behind Labour and the former NDP inumbent. He contested Hereford in 1923 and 1924 coming second on both occasions.
In 1929 , he came fifth at Southampton. In 1931 he came third at Thornbury and finally, came third at Stoke Newington in 1935.
In 1932, John purchased Brantwood and opened it to the public the following year.
In 1953, John was hit in the eye by a cricket ball and never really recovered. He died in 1955 aged 82.
Tuesday, 12 December 2017
1761 Thomas Wilson
Constituency : North East Lanarkshire 1910-11
Thomas took over from Alexander Findlay at North East Lanarkshire.
Thomas was educated at Glasgow High School and the University of Glasgow. He became a solicitor in Glasgow.
Thomas resigned shortly after his re-election in December 1910
Thomas was Clerk to the General Munitions of War Tribunal in Scotland.
He died in 1929 aged 66.
Monday, 11 December 2017
1760 William Pringle
Constituency : North West Lanarkshire 1910-18, Penistone 1922-4
William took North West Lanarkshire from the Tories.
William was educated at Glasgow University and became a barrister. He stood at Glasgow Camlachie but failed to unseat the Liberal unionist, Alexander Cross.
William was a leftwing social radical.
William supported going to war in 1914 but opposed conscription in 1915. Although critical of Asquith , he was an implacable opponent of Lloyd George and harassed him from the backbenches during this wartime government.
Without the coupon, William stood for Glasgow Springburn in 1918 and came a poor third. He stood for Rusholme at a by-election in 1919 and came third again.
In 1921 William looked to hold Penistone for the independent Liberals after the resignation of Sydney Arnold but the intervention of a Coalition Liberal allowed Labour to take the seat. In 1922 William managed to unseat the victor. He held the seat in 1923.
William was critical of the Labour government's timidity but it did not help him get re-elected. He dropped to third place in 1924.
William blamed his defeat and others on Lloyd George not releasing enough money from his political fund to help the party.. He helped found the Liberal and Radical Candidates Association and became its first chairman. Its main aim was to prevent Lloyd George becoming chairman of the Liberal parliamentary party but it failed in this regard.
In 1925 William stood in the Ayr Burghs by-election but again came a poor third. With Lloyd George in charge of the party William looked to the newly created Liberal Council to gather opposition to him.
He died in 1928 aged 54.
Sunday, 10 December 2017
1759 Godfrey Collins
Constituency : Greenock 1910-36 ( from 1931 Liberal National )
Godfrey took over from Halley Stewart at Greenock, considerably increasing the Liberal majority.
Godfrey's family ran a major publishing firm . Godfrey joined the navy in 1888 and worked in India in the 1890s. He was PPS to John Seeley from 1910 to 1914 and then to John Gulland from 1915.
Godfrey served in the Near East during World War One and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
In 1918 Godfrey did not receive the coupon and his Conservative opponent was included on the published list. However, a telegram was issued making it clear there was no couponed candidate and Godfrey held his seat.
Godfrey made it clear he was prepared to support the government although he was still invited to the meeting of independent Liberals in 1918.
Godfrey was a junior whip from 1919 to 1920. After leaving this office he convened a meeting of backbench MPs to promote reunion.
In 1924 Godfrey became Chief Whip for the Liberals,
Despite voting for the King's Speech in 1930, Godfrey joined the Liberal Nationals in 1931 and was Secretary of State for Scotland from 1932 to 1936. In 1934 he had to deal with a dispute over who had rights to the body of the Loch Ness Monster should it be shot. He declared in favour of Scotland commenting that Scottish nationalism was "thriving greatly under the Monster's beneficient influence".
He died in office in 1936 aged 61.
Saturday, 9 December 2017
1758 James Greig
Constituency : Western Renfrewshire 1910-1922
James took over from Thomas Glen-coats at Renfrewshire.
James was born in London. He was educated at University College School , University College London and The Sorbonne. He became a barrister. He was a keen Volunteer.
In 1917 James became PPS to Robert Munro.
James had an easy victory as a couponed Liberal in 1918 but was defeated by Labour in 1922 despite the absence of a Conservative candidate.
James was knighted in 1921.
James stood for Berwick and Haddington in 1929 but came third.
He died in 1934 aged 75.
Friday, 8 December 2017
1757 Andrew Anderson
Constituency : North Ayrshire 1910-11
Andrew helped to reduce Liberal Unionist representation in Scotland by unseating Thomas Cochrane at North Ayrshire.
Andrew was educated at Dundee High School and Edinburgh University. He became a Scottish barrister. He published The Criminal Law of Scotland in 1904. He stood against Cochrane in 1906 but a Scottish Workers candidate split the vote.
Andrew slightly increased his majority in December 1910. Andrew was appointed Solicitor-General for Scotland in 1911 and had to fight a by-election. Andrew was defeated by the Conservatives exploiting uncertainties about the implications of national insurance for small manufacturers and shopkeepers.
Andrew continued as Solicitor-General for Scotland until 1913 when he became a Senator of the College of Justice as Lord Anderson. He was Chairman of the Scottish Committee on Aliens between 1917 and 1918.
Andrew enjoyed curling , fishing and football.
Andrew did not retire and died of bronchial pneumonia in 1936 aged 73.
Thursday, 7 December 2017
1756 William Young
Constituency : East Perthshire 1910-18, Perth 1918-22
William took over from Thomas Buchanan, improving on his majority.
William was a business man.
William's maiden speech was in favour of the Parliament Bill.
William supported Lloyd George and was returned unopposed at Perth in 1918.
William stood down in 1922.
He died in 1942 aged 79.
Wednesday, 6 December 2017
1755 Frederick Whyte
Constituency : Perth 1910-18
Frederick took over from the aged by-election victor Robert Pullar at Perth.
Frederick was a minister's son. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University. He was President of the University Union and Warden of the University Settlement in 1907-08.
Frederick was soon appointed PPS to Winston Churchill, serving him at the Home Office then the Admiralty until 1915. After that he was a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on special service.
In 1917, Frederick became founding editor of The New Europe which ran until 1920. He also authored a number of books on the Far East from the mid-twenties onwards.
Frederick stood down in 1918 and was appointed President of the Central Legislative Committee in India in 1920, serving until 1925. He then took diplomatic roles in China and the USA. He worked at the Ministry of Information in 1939-40 leading the propaganda campaign against American neutrality.
Frederick was knighted in 1922.
In the 1940s, Frederick was involved inthe Reindeer Council with a view to introducing the animal to Britain.
He died in 1970 aged 86.
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
1754 William Chapple
Constituency : Sirlingshire 1910-18, Dumfriesshire 1922-4
William took over from Donald Smeaton at Stirlingshire.
William was born in New Zealand. He was a farmer's son . He trained to become a doctor. He first practised in New Zealand and then Ireland. He got involved in the Liberal party of New Zealand and was briefly a Member of the House of Representatives in 1908.
William was a Presbyterian and in 1912 suggested that Ulster should be tacked onto Scotland.
William stood for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire in 1918 but without the coupon came third.
William got back in at Dumfriesshire in 1922 but was defeated in 1924 when Labour intervened with a candidate.
William was a keen advocate of eugenics and published Fertility of the Unfit which argued for enforced sterilisation in certain cases. In a debate in 1911 he declared "We are breeding from defective stock".
He died in 1936 aged 72.
Monday, 4 December 2017
1753 Robert Munro
Constituency : Wick Burghs 1910-18, Roxburgh and Selkirk 1918-22
The January 1910 election was fought by the Liberals on the issue of the Lords' rejection of Lloyd George's Peoples Budget. The Unionists had wanted an election as they could hardly fail to do better than the last time and were now more or less united behind tariff reform. However, they failed to change the government. The Liberals lost their last ever parliamentary majority but they were still ahead of the Tories by 2 seats and could continue with the support of Labour and the Irish Nationalists. Scotland, Wales and largely the North stayed solid for the Liberals with big but not catastrophic losses further south. Labour's apparent progress from 29 to 40 was solely down to the defecting mining MPs not being opposed by Liberal candidates. Their two genuine gains were effectively facilitated by the Liberals. The Liberal Unionist contribution to the Unionist recovery was negligible, up by just two seats overall.
Robert's win was one of a handful of Liberal gains at the election, unseating the Tory incumbent who'd held on by 96 votes in 1906.
Robert was a vicar's son. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and Edinburgh University. He became a Scottish barrister specialising in tax issues.
In 1913 Robert was appointed Lord Advocate by Asquith, winning the necessary by-election.
In 1916 Robert was made Secretary of State for Scotland by Lloyd George and held the post until the government fell in 1922. He could not find a parliamentary secretary from among the Scottish Liberal MPsHe helped reform the Scottish education system. He also helped reunite the Presbyterian churches in Scotland.He described the unrest in Glasgow in 1919 as a "Bolshevist rising" and sent the army in to safeguard the docks.
Robert received the coupon in the new seat of Roxburgh and Selkirk.
Robert stood down in 1922 and immediately became a judge with the title Lord Alness.
In 1933 Robert retired from the bench and was upgraded to Baron Alness. He never spoke in the Lords.
In 1940 Robert was appointed a whip in the Lords by Churchill, sitting with the Liberal Nationals for convenience.
He died in 1955 aged 87.
Sunday, 3 December 2017
1752 James Clyde
Constituency : Edinburgh West 1909-12 ( Liberal Unionist ), 1912-18, Edinburgh North 1918-20 ( Conservative )
James took over after at Edinburgh on the resignation of Lewis McIver. Despite McIver's small majority in 1906 he was unopposed.
James was the son of the Rector of Edinburgh Academy. He was educated there and at the University. He became a Scottish barrister often representing railway companies. He was briefly Solicitor-General for Scotland in 1905 and stood for the Tories in Clackmannanshire in 1906.
James was a frequent contributor to the House on land matters.
James became dean of the Faculty of Advocates in 1915.
James was appointed to the Dardanelles Commission in 1916.
James was Lord Advocate from 1916 to 1920.
In 1920 James became Lord Clyde and Lord Justice General. He made a famous declaration accepting the notion of tax avoidance. He was chair of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland from 1936 to 1944.
He died in 1944 aged 80.
That concludes our look at the by-election victors of the 1906-10 Parliament.*
* John Hancock was selected by the Liberals for the Mid-Derbyshire by-election in 1909 but the MFGB instruction to take the Labour whip occurred before the poll and Hancock pledged himself to obey it.
Saturday, 2 December 2017
1751 James Gibson
Constituency : Edinburgh East 1909-12
James took over at Edinburgh East when George Macrae resigned to become Vice-President of the Scottish Local Government Board. He had a narrow victory which has been ascribed to Catholic disappointment over failure to settle the education question.
James was educated at Edinburgh Institution and Edinburgh University. He had been Lord Provost of the city since 1906. He was a merchant.
James was created a baronet soon after his election.
James had easy victories in both 1910 elections.
He died in 1912 aged 62.
Friday, 1 December 2017
1750 Sir John Barran
Constituency : Hawick Burghs 1909-18
Sir John took over from Thomas Shaw when the latter became a judge.
John was the grandson of the former Leeds MP and cloth manufacturer John Barran and succeeded to his baronetcy in 1905. He was educated at Winchester and Cambridge.
John was unopposed in December 1910. He was PPS to Asquith from 1909 to 1916.
John's constituency was abolished in 1918. He contested Hull North West in 1922, 1923 and 1924 coming very close in 1923.
He died in 1952 aged 79.
Thursday, 30 November 2017
1749 James Falconer
Constituency : Forfarshire 1909-18, 1922-4
James took over at Forfarshire when John Sinclair received a peerage. He had an easy victory.
James was educated at Arbroath High School and Edinburgh University. James became a solicitor, specialising in contract law. He also had an interest in two farms. He was chairman of the Scottish Reform Club and secretary of the Scottish Liberal Association.
James was a keen supporter of land reform and played a large part in the Small Landowners ( Scotland ) Act of 1911 giving security of tenure at fair rent. He founded the Scottish Rural Workers Society, a friendly soiety.
James was appointed to the Select Committee on the Marconi affair and worked hard to limit the damage to the party .
In 1917 James served on a Board of Trade parliamentary committee on electricity supply which recommended a national grid
In 1918 James was defeated by 518 votes by the Unionist in a contest in which neither candidate received the coupon.
James regained the seat in 1922 and held on in 1923. He was defeated in 1924 due to the intervention of a Labour candidate.
In 1925 James served on a Board of Agriculture inquiry into rural unemployment.
He died in 1931 aged 74.
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
1748 Walter Roch
Constituency : Pembrokeshire 1908-18
Walter took over at Pembrokeshire when John Phillips was elevated to a peerage. Again the suffragettes tried to block his election.
Walter was a landowner and barrister. He was the grandson of former Carmarthenshire MP Walter Powell. He was educated at Twyford and Harrow.
Walter was a committed supporter of female suffrage despite his experiences in the by-election and worked on the cross-party Conciliation Committee.
Walter was one of the leaders of a Welsh revolt against the threat to withdraw the Disestablishment Bill of 1909.
Walter was appointed to the Dardanelles Commission in 1916. He published a Minority Report which was considerably more critical of Churchill than the official version.
Walter stayed loyal to Asquith.
Walter stood down in 1918.
In 1920 Walter published Mr Lloyd George and the War.
Walter retired in 1940 and lived quietly on his estates.
He died in 1965 aged 85.
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
1747 Arthur Ponsonby
Constituency : Stirling Burghs 1908-18, Sheffield Brightside 1922-30 ( Labour )
Arthur took over Campbell- Bannerman's seat at Stirling.
Arthur was the son of Henry Ponsonby, Queen Victoria's Private Secretary. He was born in Windsor Castle and was a Page of Honour to Queen Victoria. He was educated at Eton and Oxford and became a diplomat serving at Constantinople and Copenhagen. He left the Foreign Office in 1902 to start a political career. He stood for Taunton in 1906 and became Campbell-Bannerman's principal private secretary after the election.
Arthur opposed Edward VII's visit to Russia and found himself excluded from the next royal garden party as a result. He became known as a dissident Radical on the left of the party.
Arthur was one of the most prominent Liberals opposed to Britain's involvement in the First World War. He was active in setting up the Union of Democratic Control with Ramsay McDonald and was strongly attacked in the press as a result.
In 1918 Arthur stood as an "Independent Democrat" at Dunfermline Burghs and came third . Shortly afterwards he joined the Labour Party and was one of those former Liberal MPs who sent messages of support to Asquith's opponent at Paisley in 1920. He was returned for Sheffield Brightside in 1922.
In the late twenties Arthur ran a Peace Letter campaign against any preparations for future war. In 1928 he published Falsehood in Wartime which contained the famous saying, "When war is declared, truth is the first casualty" but it was actually a misquotation from a US Senator.
Arthur was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1924. He is remembered for the Ponsonby Rule which stated that all international treaties had to be presented to Parliament 21 days before ratification. This policy has become a constitutional convention though never enshrined in legislation In 1929 he was appointed Under Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs then Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport.
In 1930, Arthur was raised to the peerage as Baron Ponsonby. He was briefly Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1931. He was Labour leader in the House of Lords until 1935 when he resigned over party policy on Abyssinia which he felt was too strong on the possibility of military intervention.
Thereafter Arthur was active in the Peace Pledge Union. He wrote regularly in Peace News and opposed the government reacting to Stalin's policies on the Great Famine. He finally resigned from Labour over its decision to join Churchill's wartime coalition government.
In 1942 Arthur published a biography of his father.
He suffered a severe stroke in 1943 and died in 1946 aged 75.
Monday, 27 November 2017
1746 Robert Harcourt
Constituency : Montrose Burghs 1908-18
Robert took over from John Morley when the latter was elevated to the peerage. He won fairly comfortably with Labour coming second.
Robert was the son of Sir William Harcourt and younger brother of Lewis. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. Robert became a diplomat in the Foreign Office from 1900 to 1906. He then tried his hand at journalism, writing for Tribune until his election . He wrote a couple of plays and subsequently sat on a Joint Committee on Censorship shortly after his election. He stood for Hastings at a by-election earlier in the year.
Robert became chairman of the Reform Union.
Robert served in World War One as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
Robert stood down in 1918. He concentrated on his estates and bred a herd of pedigree Jersey cattle.
Robert was a pilot officer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the outbreak of World War Two.
He died in 1962 aged 84.
Sunday, 26 November 2017
1745 George Thorne
Constituency : Wolverhampton East 1908-29
George took over at Wolverhampton East when Henry Fowler became a peer. He won the by-election by 8 votes after strong opposition organised by the suffragettes.
George was born in Scotland but educated at Tettenhall College, Wolverhampton. He became a solicitor and eventually head of a large firm. He became a borough councillor in Wolverhampton and Mayor in 1902-03. He stood for Wolverhampton West in 1895 and South in 1898 where he narrowly failed to win the by-election. He was a Baptist.
George supported Free Trade, Home Rule, female suffrage, the eight hour day for miners and disestablishment of the church.
George held on to his seat more comfortably in the 1910 elections and saw off a National Democratic Party challenger who was given the coupon in 1918.
George became joint chief whip of the Asquithians after the election. He supported Lloyd George's line on peace but otherwise he was an implacable opponent of the government.
George saw off all comers in 1922 when the National Liberals put up a candidate in addition to the Conservatives and Labour. He was unopposed in 1923.
George relinquished the whips role on health grounds after the election. He retained his seat in 1924. He stood down in 1929.
George supported closer links with Labour after 1931. However he devoted most of the rest of his life to the League of Nations Union.
He died in 1934 aged 80.
Saturday, 25 November 2017
1744 Arthur Murray
Constituency : Kincardineshire 1908-18, Kincardine & Western Aberdeenshire 1918-23
Arthur took over from the deceased John Crombie at Kincardineshire.
Arthur was the younger brother of Alexander Murray, MP for Peebles and Selkirk. He was educated in Dresden then at Sandhurst. He joined the army and served in India and China , being promoted to captain in 1907.
From 1910 to 1914 Arthur was PPS to the Foreign Secretary.
Arthur introduced a bill to restrict the trade in decrepit horses.
Arthur served in France and Belgium from 1914 to 1916 then as Assistant Military Attache in Washington. He became a close friend of Franklin D Roosevelt. He won the DSO in 1916. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Arthur received the coupon in 1918 but soon became critical of the government. He protested at the decision to oppose John Simon in 1919 and joined the independent Liberals. He was challenged by a Lloyd George supporter in 1922 but easily held him off.
In 1923 Arthur was narrowly defeated by the Conservatives.
Arthur became a director of the London and North Eastern Railway and of Wembley Stadium.
In 1936 Arthur joined the National Liberals.
In 1951 Arthur became Viscount Elibank.
Arthur published a number of pamphlets on foreign policy.
He died in 1962 aged 83.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)