David Randell

David Randell (1854 – 5 June 1912), was a Welsh solicitor and a radical Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Gower from 1888 to 1900.

David Randell

Background

Randell was born the second son of John Randell of Llanelly and Mary Jones. In 1880 he married Sarah George and they had two children.[1]

Career

Randell qualified as a solicitor in 1878. He specialised in trade union litigation, protecting coal miners and tinplate workers on safety issues.

The Gower by-election, 1888

In 1888 a vacancy arose in the Gower division of Glamorganshire following the death of Frank Ash Yeo, the member since the constituency was formed three years earlier. The Liberal Association rapidly chose Sir Horace Davey to contest the seat.[2] However, on the same day local trade unionists met at Morriston and invited Randell to contest the seat.[3] The 1888 Gower by-election was thus an important landmark in Welsh political history.

Later political career

Gower was a Liberal seat and he managed to hold it at the by-election and at the general elections that followed in 1892 and 1895. He was a radical Liberal who supported Welsh disestablishment from the Church of England, Welsh self-government, votes for women and trade union rights. In 1900 he stood down from parliament for health reasons and did not run again.[4]

References
  1. ‘RANDELL, David’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 11 May 2016
  2. "The Gower Election. Meeting of the Liberal Association". South Wales Daile News. David Duncan and Sons. 12 March 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  3. "A Labour Candidate. Action of the Tin-plate Workers". South Wales Daily News. David Duncan and Sons. 12 March 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  4. British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Frank Ash Yeo		 Member of Parliament for Gower
1888–1900		 Succeeded by
John Aeron Thomas
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