Joshua Scholefield

Joshua Scholefield (23 May 1775 – 4 July 1844)[1] was a British businessman and Radical politician. He was elected as one of Birmingham's two first members of parliament when the town was enfranchised as a result of the Reform Act 1832.[2]

Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, by 1800 he had established himself as an iron manufacturer, merchant and banker at Birmingham.[2] He subsequently became a director of the National Provincial Bank, the London Joint Stock Bank and the Metropolitan Assurance Company.[2]

Birmingham Political Union

The growing industrial centre of Birmingham had neither local government nor parliamentary representation at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Scholefield became an advocate for municipal and parliamentary reform. In 1819 he was elected to the largely ceremonial position of high bailiff of Birmingham's Court Leet.[3] In that capacity Scholefield chaired a meeting of Birmingham's businessmen in January 1820 that resolved to petition parliament to hold an inquiry into the "deplorable situation of the Manufacturing and Labouring classes of the Community and of this Town in particular; and the distressing situation to which Manufactures and Commerce are reduced".[4]

In 1830 he was a founding member of the Birmingham Political Union along with his close friend Thomas Attwood. Scholefield became the deputy chairman of the organisation, which campaigned for reform of parliament.[5] The Union's aims were achieved with the passing of the 1832 Reform Act

Member of parliament

The 1832 Act enfranchised Birmingham as a parliamentary borough, with the right to return two members to the House of Commons. The Radicals, who were dominant in the area, chose Attwood and Scholefield to contest the seat. It was initially expected that they would contest the seat with the Tories, but in the event the two men were elected unopposed.[3] Scholefield was re-elected at subsequent polls and remained a member of parliament until his death. In parliament he opposed the new poor law and supported the aims of the Chartists.[2] On 24 June 1844 he became ill, apparently with a stroke, and died on 4 July at his residence in Birmingham, aged 69.[2][6][7] He was buried in Edgbaston churchyard.[2]

References
  1. Commemorative medals of Scholefield struck by Thomas Halliday in 1832 show his date of birth as 23 May 1775.
  2. R. W. Davis (2004). "Scholefield, Joshua (1774/5–1844)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  3. Hutton, W (1835). The History of Birmingham. Wrightson and Webb. pp. 155, 483. Retrieved 4 March 2010. joshua scholefield .
  4. "Birmingham, January 4, 1820". Morning Chronicle. 11 January 1820.
  5. "First Grand Meeting of the Birmingham Political Union". The Standard. 19 May 1830.
  6. "Illness of Mr Scholefield MP". The Standard. 4 July 1844.
  7. "Death of Mr Scholefield M.P. for Birmingham". Bristol Mercury. 6 July 1844.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Birmingham
1832–1844
With: Thomas Attwood 1832–1840
George Muntz 1840–1844		 Succeeded by
Richard Spooner and
George Muntz
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