John William Wilson

John William Wilson, PC, JP (22 October 1858 – 18 June 1932[1]) was a British chemical manufacturer and politician who served for 27 years as a member of parliament (MP), initially as Liberal Unionist and then as a Liberal.

For the Australian architect, see John William Wilson (architect).
For other people named John Wilson, see John Wilson (disambiguation).

John William Wilson

Background

Wilson was the eldest son of John Edward Wilson of Wyddrington, Edgbaston and Catherine Stacey of Tottenham. He was educated at Grove House School, Tottenham and in Germany. In 1883 he married Florence Jane Harrison[2] who died in 1911. In 1919 he married Isabel Bannatyne. He served as a Justice of the peace in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.[3] He worked for the chemical manufacturers Albright and Wilson Limited of Oldbury.[4] He became a director of the Great Western Railway Company.[5] He became a director of Bryant and May Limited.[6]

Political career

Wilson was elected to Worcestershire County Council, representing the Langley division.[7] He was elected at the 1895 general election as Liberal Unionist MP for the Northern division of Worcestershire against a Liberal opponent. He was re-elected unopposed at the 1900 general election. Some time between then and 1906 he left the Liberal Unionists and joined the Liberal Party, and although he enjoyed no further uncontested elections he was returned to the House of Commons as a Liberal in 1906 and in both the January 1910 and December 1910 elections.[8] He was made a Privy Councillor in July 1911.[9]

When constituencies were revised for the 1918 general election, Wilson was elected for the newly created Stourbridge division of Worcestershire. He had been opposed by candidates of both the Labour Party and the National Democratic and Labour Party, the latter holding a "coalition coupon", and he won with only 38.5% of the votes. In 1922 he faced only a Conservative opponent, Douglas Pielou, who won the seat. Wilson did not stand for Parliament again.[10]

Electoral record
General election 1895: North Worcestershire[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist John Wilson 5,012 55.5
Liberal R Waite 4,024 44.5
Majority 988 11.0
Turnout 80.6
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1900: North Worcestershire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist John Wilson unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal Unionist hold Swing n/a
General election 1906: North Worcestershire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Wilson 51.8 n/a
Liberal Unionist William Campion 6,429 48.2 n/a
Majority 479 3.6 n/a
Turnout 84.8 n/a
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing n/a
General election 1918 Stourbridge[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Wilson 8,920 38.5 n/a
Labour Mary Anderson 7,587 32.7 n/a
National Democratic Victor Fisher 6,690 28.8 n/a
Majority 1,333 5.8 n/a
Turnout 23,197 n/a
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1922 : Stourbridge[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Douglas Pielou 18,200 51.8 n/a
Liberal John Wilson 16,949 48.2 +9.7
Majority 1,251 3.6
Turnout 35,149
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing n/a

References
  1. "House of Commons constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)". Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  2. The Liberal Year Book, 1908
  3. 'WILSON, Rt Hon. John William', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 11 March 2015
  4. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1918
  6. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1922
  7. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  8. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 423. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  9. "No. 28511". The London Gazette. 7 July 1911. p. 5025.
  10. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  11. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  12. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  13. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  14. Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  15. Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Benjamin Hingley, Bt		 Member of Parliament for North Worcestershire
1895 – 1918		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Stourbridge
1918 – 1922		 Succeeded by
Douglas Pielou
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