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.
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