Garnham Edmonds

Edmonds was described as tall, handsome, with a great shock of hair.[1] He had a daughter, Kate E. Rawles who was awarded the MBE.[2]

Edmonds was a butcher in Bethnal Green, East London, trading as Edmonds and Mears tripe dressers.[3] His butchers shop was located in Bethnal Green Road and sold tripe and offal. After his election to parliament he continued to serve behind the counter and would travel each morning at 6.30am to Smithfield Market to make purchases.[1] He was also a religious and social worker.

Edmonds was President of the local Liberal association. In 1902 he was elected a member of Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council, and was mayor of the borough from 1907–08.[3] In 1910 he was elected as a Progressive Party member of the London County Council, holding his seat until retiring in 1922. In the general election of that year he was elected as member of parliament for Bethnal Green North East with a majority of 115 votes over Walter Windsor of the Labour Party. However, a further election was held in 1923, and Edmonds was unseated by Windsor.[4] He again contested the seat in 1924 but lost by 95 votes. He continued as prospective Liberal candidate until resigning in 1926.[5] He did not stand for parliament again. He did return to local politics, being elected again to Bethnal Green Council, serving as Chairman of the Baths Committee.[6] He served as a Justice of the peace for the County of London.[7]

Electoral record

Bethnal Green North East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive	Garnham Edmonds	3,423	36.6
	Progressive	Edward A Smith	3,369	36.1
	Municipal Reform	Alexander Edwards	1,327	14.2
	Municipal Reform	William Long Restall	1,221	13.1
Majority			2,042	21.9
	Progressive hold		Swing

Bethnal Green North East[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive	Garnham Edmonds	2,731	29.4	-7.2
	Progressive	Edward A Smith	2,667	28.7	-7.4
	Municipal Reform	G. Allen	1,961	21.1	+6.9
	Municipal Reform	Thomas Andrew Blane	1,941	20.9	+7.8
Majority			706	7.6	-14.3
	Progressive hold		Swing	-7.1

London County Council election, 1919: Bethnal Green North East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive	Sir Edward A Smith	Unopposed	n/a	n/a
	Progressive	Garnham Edmonds	Unopposed	n/a	n/a
	Progressive hold		Swing	n/a
	Progressive hold		Swing	n/a

General election 1922: Bethnal Green North East [9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Garnham Edmonds	5,774	36.1	-20.3
	Communist	Walter Windsor	5,659	35.3	n/a
	Unionist	Eric Alfred Hoffgaard	2,806	17.5	n/a
	National Liberal	George Garro-Jones	1,780	11.5	n/a
Majority			115	0.8	-26.3
Turnout			27,262	58.8	+27.6
	Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

General election 1923: Bethnal Green North East [9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Walter Windsor	7,415	45.7	+12.4
	Liberal	Garnham Edmonds	6,790	41.8	+5.7
	Unionist	Robert Tasker	2,035	12.5	-5.0
Majority			625	3.9	4.7
Turnout			27,468	59.1	+0.3
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing	+3.3

General election 1924: Bethnal Green North East [9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Walter Windsor	9,560	50.2	+4.5
	Liberal	Garnham Edmonds	9,465	49.8	+8.0
Majority			95	0.4	-3.5
Turnout			27,827	68.4	+9.3
	Labour hold		Swing	-1.8

Edmonds died at his home in Woodford Green, Essex in April 1946, aged 81.[10]

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Garnham Edmonds