Thomas Willans Nussey
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Willans Nussey, 1st Baronet (12 October 1868 – 12 October 1947) was an English barrister
and Liberal Party
politician. He was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Pontefract
from 1893 to 1910.
near Leeds
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
. He was educated at Malvern College
until Christmas 1882, then attended Leamington College for boys and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
. In 1897 he married Edith Daniel the daughter of a medical doctor from Fleetwood
in Lancashire
. At the time of the marriage the Daniels were residing in Scarborough and the wedding took place there. They had one son. Edith Nussey died in 1934 and Sir Willans married again in 1935. His second wife was Edith Maud Cliff OBE
from Leeds.
. However he does not seem to have required an occupation to provide an income. He started to engage in political activity as soon as he came down from university and MPs did not receive salaries until 1911. In the 1830s, Nussey’s father had started a woollen manufacturing business with his two brothers, Obadiah and Joseph, and this grew into a large and successful enterprise. It seems likely that Nussey had access to family money to allow him to seek a career in politics.
all his life. He first stood for Parliament
at the 1892 general election
in the Maidstone
division of Kent
but in June 1893 there was a by-election
in the Pontefract
constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire
. The election of the sitting Liberal MP for Pontefract, Harold James Reckitt at a by-election in February 1893, was declared void following an election petition
and Nussey was selected to contest the seat. He won the by-election narrowly but held his seat until the December 1910 general election when he retired from the House of Commons.
in the Birthday Honours list
. After stepping down from Parliament he in continued public life. He was a Justice of the Peace
for the North Riding, chairman of the local bench
, chairman of the North Yorkshire Quarter Sessions
, chairman of the Appeals Committee and a Deputy Lieutenant
of the North Riding.
in the North Riding of Yorkshire
on 12 October 1947 aged exactly 79 years. The heir to the Nussey baronetcy
was his son from his first marriage, Thomas Moore Nussey (19 July 1898 - 25 October 1971).
, has been deposited in the British Library
manuscript collection.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Liberal Party
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. He was the 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,...
(MP) for Pontefract
Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.-In the unreformed...
from 1893 to 1910.
Family and education
Willans Nussey was the son of Thomas Nussey, a woollen manufacturer of Bramley Grange, ThornerThorner
Thorner is a rural village and civil parish in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, located between Seacroft and Wetherby. It has a population of 1,503.-History:...
near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. He was educated at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
until Christmas 1882, then attended Leamington College for boys and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. In 1897 he married Edith Daniel the daughter of a medical doctor from Fleetwood
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
in 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...
. At the time of the marriage the Daniels were residing in Scarborough and the wedding took place there. They had one son. Edith Nussey died in 1934 and Sir Willans married again in 1935. His second wife was Edith Maud Cliff 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...
from Leeds.
Career
Nussey went in for the law and in 1893 he was called to the bar at the Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. However he does not seem to have required an occupation to provide an income. He started to engage in political activity as soon as he came down from university and MPs did not receive salaries until 1911. In the 1830s, Nussey’s father had started a woollen manufacturing business with his two brothers, Obadiah and Joseph, and this grew into a large and successful enterprise. It seems likely that Nussey had access to family money to allow him to seek a career in politics.
Politics
Nussey held Liberal political views and was said to have remained faithful to the ideas and policies of William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
all his life. He first stood for 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...
at the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
in the Maidstone
Maidstone (UK Parliament constituency)
Maidstone was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The parliamentary borough of Maidstone returned two Members of Parliament from 1552 until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
division of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
but in June 1893 there was a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the Pontefract
Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.-In the unreformed...
constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. The election of the sitting Liberal MP for Pontefract, Harold James Reckitt at a by-election in February 1893, was declared void following an election petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
and Nussey was selected to contest the seat. He won the by-election narrowly but held his seat until the December 1910 general election when he retired from the House of Commons.
Honours and appointments
In 1909, Nussey was created a baronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in the Birthday Honours list
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
. After stepping down from Parliament he in continued public life. He was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the North Riding, chairman of the local bench
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
, chairman of the North Yorkshire Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
, chairman of the Appeals Committee and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the North Riding.
Death
Nussey died at his home, Sutton Howgrave, BedaleBedale
Bedale is a market town and civil parish in the district of Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England. It lies north of Leeds, southwest of Middlesbrough, and south west of the county town of Northallerton...
in the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
on 12 October 1947 aged exactly 79 years. The heir to the Nussey baronetcy
Nussey Baronets
The Nussey Baronetcy, of Rushwood Hall in the County of York, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 22 July 1909 for Thomas Nussey, Liberal Member of Parliament for Pontefract from 1893 to 1910...
was his son from his first marriage, Thomas Moore Nussey (19 July 1898 - 25 October 1971).
Papers
A collection of letters sent by Nussey’s to the Liberal prime minister, Sir Henry Campbell-BannermanHenry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
, has been deposited in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
manuscript collection.