Edward Thomas Holden
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Thomas Holden (10 September 1831 - 13 November 1926) was a British
businessman and LIberal Party
politician, who was briefly member of parliament
for Walsall
.
Holden was born in Walsall
, Staffordshire
, and was the son of Edward Holden and his wife Elizabeth née Mason of New York
. Following a private education, he joined the firm of tanners and curriers in the town founded by his father, eventually becoming the head of the company. In 1854 he married Caroline Glass of Edinburgh. They made their home at Glenelg, Great Barr
, and had one son.
He was elected to Walsall Borough Council, of which he was a member for more than sixty years. He was mayor of Walsall on three occasions: in 1870/71, 1871/72 and 1904/05. He was also a member of Walsall School Board and Board of Guardians
, and a justice of the peace
for the borough of Walsall and the county of Staffordshire.
In July 1891 the sitting Liberal member of parliament for Walsall, Sir Charles Forster
, died suddenly. Holden, who was a close friend of the late MP and president of Walsall Liberal Association, was unanimously adopted to contest the resulting by-election. Holden campaigned on a platform of opposing the incumbent Conservative
government and was in favour of Irish Home Rule, "one man - one vote" and the introduction of elected parish councils. He also had the support of the local temperence movement, as he was in favour the closure of licensed premises on Sundays. His Conservative opponent was Frank James
, who was supported by the Licensed Vintners National Defence League.
The by-election was held on 11 August, and Holden successfully held the seat for the Liberals with a majority of 539 votes. It was believed he was helped by the presence of 1,000 Irish voters in the constituency.
Holden's membership of the Commons was to be brief: a general election
was held in 1892. Holden's opponent of the previous year, Frank James, was able to gain the seat for the Conservatives. Although James was subsequently unseated on petition in August 1892 due to breaches of Corrupt Practices Act 1883, Holden did not choose to claim the seat. Indeed, he stated that he would "not again offer himself for Walsall or any other place". He continued to be involved in Walsall politics at a municipal level, however. He was knighted
in 1907.
E T Holden died in November 1926, aged 95.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman and LIberal Party
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...
politician, who was briefly member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Walsall
Walsall (UK Parliament constituency)
Walsall was a borough constituency centred on the town of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. 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....
.
Holden was born in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and was the son of Edward Holden and his wife Elizabeth née Mason of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Following a private education, he joined the firm of tanners and curriers in the town founded by his father, eventually becoming the head of the company. In 1854 he married Caroline Glass of Edinburgh. They made their home at Glenelg, Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
, and had one son.
He was elected to Walsall Borough Council, of which he was a member for more than sixty years. He was mayor of Walsall on three occasions: in 1870/71, 1871/72 and 1904/05. He was also a member of Walsall School Board and Board of Guardians
Board of Guardians
Boards of guardians were ad hoc authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930.-England and Wales:The boards were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish Overseers of the Poor established under the old poor law, following the recommendations...
, and 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...
for the borough of Walsall and the county of Staffordshire.
In July 1891 the sitting Liberal member of parliament for Walsall, Sir Charles Forster
Sir Charles Forster, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Forster, 1st Baronet was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1852 to 1891-Biography:Forster was born at Worcester, the only son of Charles Smith Forster of Lysways...
, died suddenly. Holden, who was a close friend of the late MP and president of Walsall Liberal Association, was unanimously adopted to contest the resulting by-election. Holden campaigned on a platform of opposing the incumbent 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...
government and was in favour of Irish Home Rule, "one man - one vote" and the introduction of elected parish councils. He also had the support of the local temperence movement, as he was in favour the closure of licensed premises on Sundays. His Conservative opponent was Frank James
Frank James (MP)
Frank James was a British businessman, freemason and Conservative politician.He was the fifth son of John James of Walsall, Staffordshire...
, who was supported by the Licensed Vintners National Defence League.
The by-election was held on 11 August, and Holden successfully held the seat for the Liberals with a majority of 539 votes. It was believed he was helped by the presence of 1,000 Irish voters in the constituency.
Holden's membership of the Commons was to be brief: a general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
was held in 1892. Holden's opponent of the previous year, Frank James, was able to gain the seat for the Conservatives. Although James was subsequently unseated on petition in August 1892 due to breaches of Corrupt Practices Act 1883, Holden did not choose to claim the seat. Indeed, he stated that he would "not again offer himself for Walsall or any other place". He continued to be involved in Walsall politics at a municipal level, however. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1907.
E T Holden died in November 1926, aged 95.