Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet, (31 March 1863 – 10 January 1931) was a British
businessman and Conservative Party
politician.
Born in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
, Hood was educated at the local grammar school
. He subsequently studied law, and was admitted as a solicitor
in 1890, practicing in Liverpool
.
In 1902 he was employed as solicitor to act for Imperial Tobacco Company
and American Tobacco Company
in their formation of the joint venture British-American Tobacco Company Ltd
. He was appointed a director of the three companies, and was one of the deputy-chairman of British American Tobacco. He resigned from these positions in 1921. In 1900 he married Katherine Kenny of County Wexford
, and the couple had three daughters. She died in 1913. His second marriage was to Marie Robinson of Dublin, with whom he had two sons.
During World War I
he served on two committees of the Board of Trade
and acted as an assistant controller at the Ministry of Information
.
At the 1918 general election
he was elected as Coalition Conservative member of parliament
for Wimbledon
. He held the seat at the next two general elections, and in 1922 was created a baronet
"of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey
". He retired from the Commons at the 1924 general election
.
Hood was known as a generous benefactor to the area he represented in parliament. He donated a recreation at Raynes Park
to Merton and Morden Urban District
Council and playing fields and woodland in South Wimbledon
to the Borough of Wimbledon
. Following his death they were named Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields, and Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Wood.
Sir Joseph and Lady Hood were granted the freedom of the borough
of Wimbledon in 1924. In 1930 he was elected mayor
of Wimbledon by the borough council, an office he held until his death at his Wimbledon home after a short illness in January 1931. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son Harold Hood
, then aged 15.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
businessman and 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.
Born in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Hood was educated at the local grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. He subsequently studied law, and was admitted as a 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...
in 1890, practicing in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
In 1902 he was employed as solicitor to act for Imperial Tobacco Company
Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
and American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
in their formation of the joint venture British-American Tobacco Company Ltd
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
. He was appointed a director of the three companies, and was one of the deputy-chairman of British American Tobacco. He resigned from these positions in 1921. In 1900 he married Katherine Kenny of County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, and the couple had three daughters. She died in 1913. His second marriage was to Marie Robinson of Dublin, with whom he had two sons.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served on two committees of the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
and acted as an assistant controller at the Ministry of Information
Ministry of Information
The term Ministry of Information may refer to the following:* Ministry of Information , part of the Cabinet of Egypt* Ministry of Information , part of the Cabinet of Equatorial Guinea...
.
At 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...
he was elected as Coalition Conservative 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 Wimbledon
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
. He held the seat at the next two general elections, and in 1922 was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
"of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
". He retired from the Commons at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
.
Hood was known as a generous benefactor to the area he represented in parliament. He donated a recreation at Raynes Park
Raynes Park
Raynes Park is a suburb within the London Borough of Merton south-west London, centred around Raynes Park station and situated between Wimbledon and New Malden. It is 8.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross. The area is effectively divided into two by the Waterloo - Southampton mainline railway...
to Merton and Morden Urban District
Merton and Morden Urban District
Merton Urban District and Merton and Morden Urban District was an urban district in Surrey, England. It was formed in 1907 from the parish of Merton and was expanded in 1913 to take in Morden...
Council and playing fields and woodland in South Wimbledon
South Wimbledon
South Wimbledon is a locality in the London Borough of Merton in southwest London, England.-Toponymy:It is marked on an Ordnance Survey map of 1876 as New Wimbledon and on a 1907 map as South Wimbledon...
to the Borough of Wimbledon
Municipal Borough of Wimbledon
Wimbledon was a local government district in north-east Surrey from 1866 to 1965 covering the town of Wimbledon and its surrounding area. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District....
. Following his death they were named Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields, and Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Wood.
Sir Joseph and Lady Hood were granted the freedom of the borough
Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act 1885
The Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that gave the councils of municipal boroughs in England and Wales the power to award the title of honorary freeman to "persons of distinction and any persons who have rendered emininent services to the...
of Wimbledon in 1924. In 1930 he was elected 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 Wimbledon by the borough council, an office he held until his death at his Wimbledon home after a short illness in January 1931. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son Harold Hood
Sir Harold Hood, 2nd Baronet
Sir Harold Hood, Bt. was the son of Sir Joseph Hood. Just before his fifteenth birthday in 1931, he succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death. Hood was a devout Catholic and worked in Catholic publishing for much of his life, including working on the Catholic Herald and The Universe...
, then aged 15.
See also
- Hood Baronets