Albert Edward Martin
Encyclopedia
Albert Edward Martin was an English merchant and Liberal Party
, later Conservative
politician.
gives his date of birth as 1876. According to the brief obituary in The Times
newspaper, Martin was aged 59 years when he died, which supports the report of his date of birth as 1876.
in Essex
. He was also a member of the Territorial Army, rising to the rank of Honorary Colonel of the 52nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, (T.A) and he was responsible for raising the 156th Battery. Martin also served as a Justice of the Peace
.
in Essex to fight the 1918 general election
in succession to the sitting Liberal MP, Sir John Bethell
who had transferred to the nearby seat of East Ham North
. Both Martin and Bethell were awarded the Coalition coupon
for the election and both were returned. In Romford, Martin faced a Labour
opponent and one from the left-wing National Socialist Party
. In the absence of a Conservative
, with the Labour vote split and with the endorsement of the coupon, Martin won the seat comfortably with a majority of 5,256 votes.
Martin stood as a National Liberal
, that is to say as a supporter of outgoing Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
of whose Coalition government
he had been a supporter. Again without a Conservative opponent, Martin was involved in a straight fight against Labour. He held his seat by a majority of 4,103 votes.
approached Martin was adopted by the Romford Conservatives as their candidate for the contest. However this move was resented by some in the constituency and this bitterness could have proved problematic for Martin's election campaign. In the event the potential difficulties never presented themselves as Martin withdrew from the fray on the grounds that his health had broken down. The Conservatives selected another candidate Charles Rhys
to represent them and Rhys went on to win the seat, holding it until 1929
.
of the new Municipal Borough of Barking
in 1931 and was re-elected Mayor in November 1932. He was sometime Chairman of Barking Education Committee and of the Food Control Committee. He was also an Alderman
of the Borough.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, later Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Date of birth
According to the source, Leigh Rayment’s Peerage Page, Martin was born in 1875 but Who was WhoWho's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
gives his date of birth as 1876. According to the brief obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper, Martin was aged 59 years when he died, which supports the report of his date of birth as 1876.
Career
Martin was a successful merchant. He was head of a firm in Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. He was also a member of the Territorial Army, rising to the rank of Honorary Colonel of the 52nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, (T.A) and he was responsible for raising the 156th Battery. Martin also served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
Parliamentary candidate, 1918
Martin was selected as Liberal candidate for RomfordRomford (UK Parliament constituency)
Romford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in Essex to fight the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
in succession to the sitting Liberal MP, Sir John Bethell
John Bethell, 1st Baron Bethell
John Henry Bethell, 1st Baron Bethell , known as Sir John Bethell, 1st Baronet, from 1911 to 1922, was a British banker and Liberal politician....
who had transferred to the nearby seat of East Ham North
East Ham North (UK Parliament constituency)
East Ham North was a parliamentary constituency centred on the East Ham district of London, which was in Essex until 1965. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.- History :The...
. Both Martin and Bethell were awarded the Coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
for the election and both were returned. In Romford, Martin faced a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
opponent and one from the left-wing National Socialist Party
National Socialist Party (UK)
The National Socialist Party was a small political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1916. It originated as a minority group within the British Socialist Party who supported British participation in World War I; while historically linked with the Marxist left, the party grew more moderate...
. In the absence of a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, with the Labour vote split and with the endorsement of the coupon, Martin won the seat comfortably with a majority of 5,256 votes.
1922
At the 1922 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
Martin stood as a National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
, that is to say as a supporter of outgoing Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
of whose Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
he had been a supporter. Again without a Conservative opponent, Martin was involved in a straight fight against Labour. He held his seat by a majority of 4,103 votes.
1923
Martin’s years of working with the Conservatives in Parliament and presumably at a local level, must have played a part in his decision in 1923 to leave the Liberals and join the Tories. As the 1923 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
approached Martin was adopted by the Romford Conservatives as their candidate for the contest. However this move was resented by some in the constituency and this bitterness could have proved problematic for Martin's election campaign. In the event the potential difficulties never presented themselves as Martin withdrew from the fray on the grounds that his health had broken down. The Conservatives selected another candidate Charles Rhys
Charles Rhys, 8th Baron Dynevor
Charles Arthur Uryan Rhys, 8th Baron Dynevor of Dynevor CBE , was a British peer and politician. He was the son of Walter FitzUryan Rice, 7th Baron Dynevor....
to represent them and Rhys went on to win the seat, holding it until 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
Local politics
Martin continued to enjoy a political career at local government level. He was Charter MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the new Municipal Borough of Barking
Municipal Borough of Barking
Barking was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1882 to 1965. It included the town of Barking, eastern Beckton and the south western part of the Becontree estate. The district was within the Metropolitan Police District and experienced a steady increase in population...
in 1931 and was re-elected Mayor in November 1932. He was sometime Chairman of Barking Education Committee and of the Food Control Committee. He was also an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the Borough.