Robert Newbald Kay
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Newbald Kay was an English
solicitor
and politician
, based in York
. He was also Liberal
Member of Parliament
for Elland
from 1923 to 1924, and Lord Mayor
of York in 1925.
The second of five children of William Kay and his wife Ann (née Newbald) of Bossall
, Kay passed his final Law Society
examinations in 1892 and the next year he founded the law firm of Newbald Kay in York which had its offices at Lendal adjacent to the Mansion House
where he lived as Lord Mayor.
Along with his wife Alice May Lambert, the daughter of a Wesleyan Minister, he was a prominent Methodist, being for a time a member of the Methodist Conference and funded the construction of a chapel
in Acomb, North Yorkshire.
For his wartime services as Sheriff
of York, 1914–1915, and chairman of the local recruiting committee, he was knighted
in the 1920 New Year Honours.
and was instrumental in closing the college down during the Great Depression
. He bought the college estate, demolished the buildings, and sold off the estate off as building plots, having previously worked with H. B. Workman on managing the school's merger and decline.
He did something similar regarding the Hollybank Estate in South Bank, York
, and the streets on that estate are actually named after his children and grandchildren.
Kay's maiden speech
in the House of Commons also indicated Kay's interest in encouraging people to own their own houses.http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1924/feb/22/rent-restrictions-bill#S5CV0169P0_19240222_HOC_96
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1924/feb/22/rent-restrictions-bill#S5CV0169P0_19240222_HOC_96
His brother Joseph Hudson Kay (1871-191) was the Wesleyan Minister of Hoyland
.
A full pedigree
of the Slack family is available at York Cemetery
. http://www.yorkcemetery.org.uk
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, based 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...
. He was also 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...
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 Elland
Elland (UK Parliament constituency)
Elland was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire that existed between 1885 and 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
from 1923 to 1924, and Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
of York in 1925.
The second of five children of William Kay and his wife Ann (née Newbald) of Bossall
Bossall
Bossall is a village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England....
, Kay passed his final Law Society
Law society
A Law Society in current and former Commonwealth jurisdictions was historically an association of solicitors with a regulatory role that included the right to supervise the training, qualifications and conduct of lawyers/solicitors...
examinations in 1892 and the next year he founded the law firm of Newbald Kay in York which had its offices at Lendal adjacent to the Mansion House
Mansion House, York
The Mansion House in York, England is the home of the Lord Mayors of York during their term in office. It is situated on St Helen's Square, where York's Coney Street and Lendal intersect in the city centre. It is built in an early Georgian style. The foundation stone for the Mansion House was laid...
where he lived as Lord Mayor.
Along with his wife Alice May Lambert, the daughter of a Wesleyan Minister, he was a prominent Methodist, being for a time a member of the Methodist Conference and funded the construction of a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in Acomb, North Yorkshire.
For his wartime services as Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of York, 1914–1915, and chairman of the local recruiting committee, 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 the 1920 New Year Honours.
Elmfield College and Kay's property speculation
Around 1929 he became a Governor of Elmfield CollegeElmfield College
Elmfield College, York , originally called "Connexional College" or "Jubilee College" in honour of the Primitive Methodist Silver Jubilee in 1860, was a Primitive Methodist college on the outskirts of Heworth, York, England, near Monk Stray.-Primitive Methodism in York:The college was a national...
and was instrumental in closing the college down during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He bought the college estate, demolished the buildings, and sold off the estate off as building plots, having previously worked with H. B. Workman on managing the school's merger and decline.
He did something similar regarding the Hollybank Estate in South Bank, York
South Bank, York
South Bank is an area to the south of the River Ouse in York. The area is dominated by the disused Terry's chocolate factory and the numerous streets of terraced housing that surround it. Terry's Chocolate Factory opened in 1926, where over the years it manufactured Terry's Chocolate Orange,...
, and the streets on that estate are actually named after his children and grandchildren.
Kay's maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
in the House of Commons also indicated Kay's interest in encouraging people to own their own houses.http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1924/feb/22/rent-restrictions-bill#S5CV0169P0_19240222_HOC_96
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1924/feb/22/rent-restrictions-bill#S5CV0169P0_19240222_HOC_96
His brother Joseph Hudson Kay (1871-191) was the Wesleyan Minister of Hoyland
Hoyland
Hoyland is a town near Barnsley in Northern England. The town developed from the hamlets of Upper Hoyland, Hoyland, and Hoyland Common.The town has also been known as Nether Hoyland. That name was given to it when to prevent confusion with High Hoyland. When the urban district council was formed...
.
A full pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
of the Slack family is available at York Cemetery
York Cemetery, York
York Cemetery is a cemetery located in the city of York, England. Founded in 1837, it now encompasses 24 acres and is owned and administered by The York Cemetery Trust with support of the Friends of York Cemetery. It is situated on Cemetery Road in the Fishergate area of York. It has approximately...
. http://www.yorkcemetery.org.uk