Thomas Fenby
Encyclopedia
Thomas Davis Fenby was a British Liberal politician
and blacksmith
.
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, the son of a master of a local blacksmith’s forge
. He was educated at Bridlington School. He learned his father’s trade and later headed the family business, often working at the forge himself until only a few years before his death. In 1900 he married Elizabeth Ann Adamson; they had two daughters.
in 1910, he was for many years the Chairman of the Pickering
magistrates and he succeeded the Earl of Halifax
as chairman of quarter sessions. He was also Chairman of the East Riding Summary Jurisdiction Appeals Committee and vice-Chairman of the Rating Appeals Committee
, the rates being a question he later addressed in Parliament
. He was granted an extension to serve as a magistrate by the Lord Chancellor
and only finally retired from the Bench in 1951. In the 1940s he was a member of the Management Committee of the Bridlington Hospital. He died at his home in Bridlington aged 81.
of Bridlington
and a County Councillor, eventually becoming vice-Chairman of East Riding
County Council and an Alderman
. At the 1918 general election
he unsuccessfully contested the Howdenshire
Division of Yorkshire and in the general elections of 1922
and 1923
he fought the Buckrose
division of Yorkshire. He was successful however at the 1924 general election
when he was elected Liberal Member of Parliament
for East Bradford
, defeating the sitting Labour
MP and First Commissioner of Works
, Frederick William Jowett
in a straight fight by just 66 votes. However he lost the seat back to Jowett in the 1929 general election
, although again the Conservatives
decided not to put up a candidate. Fenby apparently gained a reputation at Westminster for being unconventional and independent minded and was a good platform speaker. He was well regarded for his knowledge of local government and agricultural and associated issues, which he often championed with the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g. The Times, 24.6.26). He was sometime chairman of the Association of North of England Smallholders and urged the government to provide local authorities with the funds to provide additional smallholdings to keep agricultural labourers on the land and often spoke in favour of smallholders in Parliament. He was made a Whip of the English Liberal MPs in 1926.
and H H Asquith. With Asquith out of the House of Commons after 1924, Lloyd George was elected chairman of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. However, there remained a number of Liberals who remained loyal to Asquith, but more importantly, became anti-Lloyd George.
Led by Walter Runciman
this group of 'conservative' Asquithians formed the 'Radical Group' in December 1924. Fenby was a founder member of this Radical Group which in 1927 became the Liberal Council, a formal organisation within the party, opposed to the social policies being developed under the leadership of Lloyd George. Fenby’s distrust of Lloyd George lasted at least until 1926 when he was one of ten Liberal MPs who voted against his continuing leadership of the Parliamentary party.
Two radical causes Fenby espoused were birth control
and the abolition of capital punishment
. In April 1926 he was a signatory to a letter to the Manchester Guardian, along with Bertrand Russell
, H N Brailsford and Violet Bonham Carter
- amongst others - urging support for a bill not to withhold birth control information given to married women. In December 1924 he was part of delegation to then Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks unsuccessfully seeking a reprieve from execution for a convicted murderer from Hull
, William Smith (The Times, 9.12.24).
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...
and blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
.
Early life
Fenby was born in BridlingtonBridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, the son of a master of a local blacksmith’s forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
. He was educated at Bridlington School. He learned his father’s trade and later headed the family business, often working at the forge himself until only a few years before his death. In 1900 he married Elizabeth Ann Adamson; they had two daughters.
Yorkshire public life
Fenby was important in local public life. Appointed a magistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
in 1910, he was for many years the Chairman of the Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
magistrates and he succeeded the Earl of Halifax
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
as chairman of quarter sessions. He was also Chairman of the East Riding Summary Jurisdiction Appeals Committee and vice-Chairman of the Rating Appeals Committee
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
, the rates being a question he later addressed in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. He was granted an extension to serve as a magistrate by the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
and only finally retired from the Bench in 1951. In the 1940s he was a member of the Management Committee of the Bridlington Hospital. He died at his home in Bridlington aged 81.
Politics
Fenby first entered local politics and was MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
and a County Councillor, eventually becoming vice-Chairman of East Riding
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
County Council and an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. 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 unsuccessfully contested the Howdenshire
Howdenshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Howdenshire was a county constituency in Yorkshire which 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....
Division of Yorkshire and in the general elections of 1922
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
and 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
he fought the Buckrose
Buckrose (UK Parliament constituency)
Buckrose was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a county constituency comprising the northern part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, represented by one Member of Parliament, and was created for the 1885 general election.It was redefined in...
division of Yorkshire. He was successful however at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
when he was elected Liberal 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 East Bradford
Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)
Bradford East is the name of a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency originally existed from 1885 to 1974 and was recreated for the 2010 general election, electing one Member of Parliament by the first past the post...
, defeating the sitting 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...
MP and First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
, Frederick William Jowett
Frederick William Jowett
Frederick William 'Fred' Jowett was a British Labour politician.-Early life:Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Jowett received little formal education and at the age of eight was working at the local textile mill...
in a straight fight by just 66 votes. However he lost the seat back to Jowett in the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, although again the Conservatives
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...
decided not to put up a candidate. Fenby apparently gained a reputation at Westminster for being unconventional and independent minded and was a good platform speaker. He was well regarded for his knowledge of local government and agricultural and associated issues, which he often championed with the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g. The Times, 24.6.26). He was sometime chairman of the Association of North of England Smallholders and urged the government to provide local authorities with the funds to provide additional smallholdings to keep agricultural labourers on the land and often spoke in favour of smallholders in Parliament. He was made a Whip of the English Liberal MPs in 1926.
The Radical Group
Inevitably, Fenby was caught up in the turmoil within the Liberal Party arising from the rivalries of David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and H H Asquith. With Asquith out of the House of Commons after 1924, Lloyd George was elected chairman of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. However, there remained a number of Liberals who remained loyal to Asquith, but more importantly, became anti-Lloyd George.
Led by Walter Runciman
Walter Runciman
Walter Runciman may refer to:*Walter Runciman, 1st Baron Runciman , shipping magnate, Liberal MP, and peer*Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford , son of the above, Liberal and later National Liberal MP and government minister*Walter Leslie Runciman, 2nd Viscount Runciman of Doxford *...
this group of 'conservative' Asquithians formed the 'Radical Group' in December 1924. Fenby was a founder member of this Radical Group which in 1927 became the Liberal Council, a formal organisation within the party, opposed to the social policies being developed under the leadership of Lloyd George. Fenby’s distrust of Lloyd George lasted at least until 1926 when he was one of ten Liberal MPs who voted against his continuing leadership of the Parliamentary party.
Two radical causes Fenby espoused were birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
and the abolition of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. In April 1926 he was a signatory to a letter to the Manchester Guardian, along with Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, H N Brailsford and Violet Bonham Carter
Violet Bonham Carter
Helen Violet Bonham Carter, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, DBE was a British politician and diarist. She was the daughter of H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister from 1908-1916, and later became active in Liberal politics herself, being a leading opponent of appeasement, standing for Parliament and being...
- amongst others - urging support for a bill not to withhold birth control information given to married women. In December 1924 he was part of delegation to then Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks unsuccessfully seeking a reprieve from execution for a convicted murderer from Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, William Smith (The Times, 9.12.24).