Eugene Ramsden, 1st Baron Ramsden
Encyclopedia
Eugene Joseph Squire Hargreaves Ramsden, 1st Baron Ramsden OBE
(2 February 1883 – 9 August 1955), known as Sir Eugene Ramsden, Bt and The Dirty Baron, between 1938 and 1945, was a Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
.
, Yorkshire
, and Mary Jane (née Hargreaves). He was head of James Ramsden Ltd. He also fought in the First World War and was appointed an OBE
in 1919.
constituency in West Yorkshire
at the 1923 general election
, held by the senior Liberal
John Simon
. He came third, with 22% of the votes, behind Labour
. He did not stand again in Spen Valley, and at the 1924 general election
he contested the marginal seat of Bradford North
, where the Liberal Walter Rea
had been elected in 1923 with a majority of only 173. Ramsden won the seat with a majority of 2,017, but was defeated at the 1929 general election
by Labour's Norman Angell
.
The Labour vote collapsed at the 1931 general election
after Prime Minister
Ramsay Macdonald
split his party and formed a National Government
. Ramsden stood again in Bradford North, ousting Angell with a majority of over 18,000 votes. He held the seat comfortably at the 1935 election
, and represented Bradford North until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1945 general election
. Ramsden was knighted in 1933 and made a Baronet, of Birkenshaw
in the West Riding of the County of York, in 1938. After leaving the House of Commons in 1945, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Ramsden, of Birkenshaw in the West Riding of the County of York.
Ramsden was a council member of the British Council
, and is named in the council's charter, granted in 1940. He was described in 1927 as a "whole-hearted and keen Imperialist".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(2 February 1883 – 9 August 1955), known as Sir Eugene Ramsden, Bt and The Dirty Baron, between 1938 and 1945, was a Conservative Party
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
.
Background
Ramsden was the son of James Ramsden, of The Wheatleys in GomersalGomersal
Gomersal is a village in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. It is south of Bradford, east of Cleckheaton, and north of Heckmondwike and close to the River Spen....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and Mary Jane (née Hargreaves). He was head of James Ramsden Ltd. He also fought in the First World War and was appointed an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1919.
Political career
Ramsden stood unsuccessfully for the Spen ValleySpen Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Spen Valley was a parliamentary constituency in the valley of the River Spen in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
constituency in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, held by the senior Liberal
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...
John Simon
John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon
John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon GCSI GCVO OBE PC was a British politician who held senior Cabinet posts from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second. He is one of only three people to have served as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer,...
. He came third, with 22% of the votes, behind 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...
. He did not stand again in Spen Valley, and at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
he contested the marginal seat of Bradford North
Bradford North (UK Parliament constituency)
Bradford North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until it was abolished for the 2010 general election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, where the Liberal Walter Rea
Walter Rea, 1st Baron Rea
Walter Russell Rea, 1st Baron Rea , was a British merchant banker and Liberal politician.Rea was the son of Russell Rea. He was elected to the House of Commons for Scarborough in 1906, a seat he held until 1918, and served under H. H. Asquith as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from 1915 to 1916...
had been elected in 1923 with a majority of only 173. Ramsden won the seat with a majority of 2,017, but was defeated at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
by Labour's Norman Angell
Norman Angell
Sir Ralph Norman Angell was an English lecturer, journalist, author, and Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.Angell was one of the principal founders of the Union of Democratic Control...
.
The Labour vote collapsed at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
after Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Ramsay Macdonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
split his party and formed a National Government
National Government 1931-1935
See also First National MinistryThe United Kingdom's National Government was composed of members of the following parties:*National Labour*Conservative Party*Liberal Party*Liberal Nationals...
. Ramsden stood again in Bradford North, ousting Angell with a majority of over 18,000 votes. He held the seat comfortably at the 1935 election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, and represented Bradford North until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. Ramsden was knighted in 1933 and made a Baronet, of Birkenshaw
Birkenshaw, West Yorkshire
Birkenshaw is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It lies at the crossroads between the A58 Leeds to Halifax road and the A651 Bradford to Heckmondwike road....
in the West Riding of the County of York, in 1938. After leaving the House of Commons in 1945, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Ramsden, of Birkenshaw in the West Riding of the County of York.
Ramsden was a council member of the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, and is named in the council's charter, granted in 1940. He was described in 1927 as a "whole-hearted and keen Imperialist".