Jacob Bright
Encyclopedia
Jacob Bright was a British
Liberal
politician.
Bright was born at Green Bank near Rochdale
, Lancashire
. He was the fourth of eleven children of Jacob Bright and Martha Wood. His father was a Quaker and had established a cotton
-spinning business at Fieldhouse. His elder brother, John Bright
, was a radical politician, and his sister, Priscilla Bright McLaren, campaigned for women's rights.
Jacob Bright was educated at the Friends School in York
before entering the family business of John Bright & Brothers, cotton-spinners. Bright and his brother Thomas managed the firm, and by 1885 the business had expanded into carpet manufacture. He was also responsible for introducing the linotype machine
to England.
Bright became involved in radical politics and supported Chartism
. He was the first mayor
of Rochdale
on the town's incorporation as a municipal borough
. He stood for election in 1865
in Manchester. Although unsuccessful on his first attempt, he won a by-election in 1867, and held his seat at the general election in 1868
. He lost his seat at the 1874 general election
, but was returned to parliament at the by-election in 1876. When the three-seat Parliamentary Borough of Manchester
was divided into eight single-seat constituencies in 1885
, Bright was selected as the Liberal candidate for the new Manchester South West
constituency. He was defeated in 1885
, but successful in the general election in 1886
. As a member of parliament
, Bright was considered an "advanced radical". He was a peace campaigner and supported women's suffrage
.
Bright remained as MP for South West Manchester until in 1895. Upon retirement, Bright was sworn into the privy council
at the suggestion of Lord Rosebery.
In 1855, Bright married Ursula Mellor, daughter of a Liverpool merchant. Ursula Mellor Bright
was a campaigner for women's rights. They had three children.
Jacob Bright died at midnight on 7/8 November 1899 at his residence, "Nunn's Acre", Goring-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
. He was cremated without a funeral service. The central committee of the Society for Women's Suffrage passed a resolution recognising his contribution to the movement.
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...
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...
politician.
Bright was born at Green Bank near Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He was the fourth of eleven children of Jacob Bright and Martha Wood. His father was a Quaker and had established a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
-spinning business at Fieldhouse. His elder brother, John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
, was a radical politician, and his sister, Priscilla Bright McLaren, campaigned for women's rights.
Jacob Bright was educated at the Friends School in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
before entering the family business of John Bright & Brothers, cotton-spinners. Bright and his brother Thomas managed the firm, and by 1885 the business had expanded into carpet manufacture. He was also responsible for introducing the linotype machine
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
to England.
Bright became involved in radical politics and supported Chartism
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
. He was the first mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Rochdale
County Borough of Rochdale
Rochdale was, from 1856 to 1974, a local government district coterminate with the town of Rochdale in the northwest of England.-Municipal borough:...
on the town's incorporation as a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. He stood for election in 1865
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
in Manchester. Although unsuccessful on his first attempt, he won a by-election in 1867, and held his seat at the general election in 1868
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
. He lost his seat at the 1874 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, but was returned to parliament at the by-election in 1876. When the three-seat Parliamentary Borough of Manchester
Manchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester was a Parliamentary borough constituency in the county of Lancashire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its territory consisted of the city of Manchester.- History :...
was divided into eight single-seat constituencies in 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
, Bright was selected as the Liberal candidate for the new Manchester South West
Manchester South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester South West was one of six single-member Parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the existing three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester...
constituency. He was defeated in 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, but successful in the general election in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. As a 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,...
, Bright was considered an "advanced radical". He was a peace campaigner and supported women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
.
Bright remained as MP for South West Manchester until in 1895. Upon retirement, Bright was sworn into the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
at the suggestion of Lord Rosebery.
In 1855, Bright married Ursula Mellor, daughter of a Liverpool merchant. Ursula Mellor Bright
Ursula Mellor Bright
Ursula Mellor Bright was a women's suffrage campaigner.Her father was Liverpool merchant Joseph Mellor; he died when Ursula was very young. Her mother married Thomas Blackburn, a Liverpool surgeon. She was a daughter of John Pennington of Hindley, Lancashire...
was a campaigner for women's rights. They had three children.
Jacob Bright died at midnight on 7/8 November 1899 at his residence, "Nunn's Acre", Goring-on-Thames
Goring-On-Thames
Goring-on-Thames is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, about south of Wallingford.-Geography:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. He was cremated without a funeral service. The central committee of the Society for Women's Suffrage passed a resolution recognising his contribution to the movement.