1466 John Barker

Constituency : Maidstone  1900-01, Penryn  and  Falmouth  1906-10

John  took  Maidstone  from  the  Tories.

John  was  a  brewer's  son  from  Maidstone. He  started  work  as  a  draper's  apprentice. He impressed  as  a  salesman  and  became  a  departmental  manager  . He  founded  Barker's department  store  in  Kensington. He  was  an  alderman  on  London  County Council. He  contested a  by-election  at  Maidstone  in  1898.

John  was  unseated  on  petition  but  the  Liberals  won  the  resultant  by-election.

John  became  a  baronet  in  1908.

John  was  also  a  farmer  who  bred  polo  ponies.

He  died  in  1914  aged  74.