1642 Sir Edwin Cornwall

Constituency : Bethnal Green North  East  1906-22

Edwin  took  Bethnal  Green  North  East  from  the  Tories.

Edwin  was  born  in  Devon. He  became  a  clerk  for  a  London  coal  merchant  and  by  17  was  managing  a  depot. He  then  set  up  his  own business. In  1892 he  became  a  Progressive  Councillor  on  the  L.C.C and  was  chief  whip  for  eight  years  until  becoming  Mayor  of  Fulham. In  1904  he  became  chairman  of  the  L.C.C.  leading  efforts  at  slum  clearance. He  was  knighted  in  1905. He  stood  for  Fulham  in  1895  and  1900.

In  1916  Edwin  sat  on  an  Advisory  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade  to  decide  whether  to  wind  up  enemy  businesses.

Lloyd  George  made  him  Minister  of  National  Health  Insurance  and  Comptroller  of  the  Household  in  1916. He  was  created  a  baronet  in  1918 and  became  Deputy  Speaker  that  same  year. He  was  also  chairman  of  the  Joint  Committee  of  Insurance  Commissioners.

Edwin  retained  his seat  in  1918  as  a  couponed  minister  seeing  off  a  National  Party  candidate  and  an  independent.

Edwin  stood  down  in  1922.

He  died  in  1953 aged  89.