Tudor Rees
Encyclopedia
Tudor Rees (1880 – 27 February 1956) was a Welsh lawyer, judge and Liberal
politician.
in Glamorgan
. He was educated at the University of Wales
. In 1918 he married Dorothy Sidebotham of Bowdon
, Cheshire
. They had one son and two daughters.
in Cardiff
but was later called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1922. In February 1939 he was appointed a County Court
judge (Solicitors’ Journal, 1939 p99) and sat at Whitechapel
, Bow
and at Uxbridge
and Brentford
County Courts. He also sat as a Justice of the Peace
in Surrey
and was later Chairman of Surrey Quarter Sessions
. He retired from the Bench in 1955.
eventually achieving the rank of Captain and also served in the Machine-Gun Corps.
and Southwark
. He was the author of a short work on disestablishment.
when he was the Liberal candidate at Barnstaple
in Devon
. He declared he was a supporter of the Lloyd George
coalition
but so was his Unionist
opponent, C S Parker He may have received the Coalition Coupon because he is described in one important and reliable record as a Coalition Liberal but one historian of the Liberal Party believes Rees was one of 29 Liberal candidates denied the coupon. Another source indicates that Rees was denied the coupon but immediately accepted the Coalition Whip on getting into Parliament. At the time of the election Rees stated that his political priorities were the housing question and the reform of the jury system. He won the seat with a majority of 602 votes.
Rees was unable to hold his seat at Barnstaple at the 1922 general election
losing narrowly by just 174 votes in a straight fight with the Conservative candidate Basil Peto. However in 1923
when the Liberal Party was united around the question of Free Trade
he won the seat back from Peto with a majority of 1,266 in a three-cornered contest including a Labour
candidate. In 1924
he lost the seat back to Peto again in a straight fight by 1,195 votes. He did not contest the seat after 1924 or try to get back into the House of Commons for any other constituency.
Rees tended to be on the conservative wing of the Liberal Party. Chris Cook describes Rees as a member of a right-wing coterie of Liberal MPs who could usually be found supporting the Conservatives when the party vote was split during the period of the first Labour government of 1924.
and was made a Freeman
of the City of London
in 1921 and of Epsom and Ewell
in Surrey in 1954.
, Surrey aged 75 on 27 February 1956.
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.
Family and education
Tudor Rees, as he was usually known, was the son of the late J Rees of MaestegMaesteg
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
. He was educated at the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
. In 1918 he married Dorothy Sidebotham of Bowdon
Bowdon, Greater Manchester
Bowdon is a suburban village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. They had one son and two daughters.
Career
Rees’ chosen profession was the law. He practised as a solicitorSolicitor
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 Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
but was later called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 1922. In February 1939 he was appointed a County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
judge (Solicitors’ Journal, 1939 p99) and sat at Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
and at Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
and Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
County Courts. He also sat as 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...
in 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...
and was later Chairman of Surrey 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...
. He retired from the Bench in 1955.
War service
At outbreak of the First World War, Rees organised a recruiting campaign. In 1915 he volunteered for the Welch RegimentWelch Regiment
The Welch Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.-History:It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot...
eventually achieving the rank of Captain and also served in the Machine-Gun Corps.
The Church
Rees was a devout Anglican who at one time thought about entering the Church. He retained an interest in ecclesiastical matters throughout his life and was a Lay Assessor in the Dioceses of CanterburyDiocese of Canterbury
The Diocese of Canterbury is a Church of England diocese covering eastern Kent, founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. It is centred on Canterbury Cathedral, and is the oldest see of the Church of England....
and Southwark
Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 44 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was formed on May 1, 1905 from part of the Diocese of Rochester...
. He was the author of a short work on disestablishment.
Politics
Rees first entered Parliamentary politics at the 1918 general electionUnited 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...
when he was the Liberal candidate at Barnstaple
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. He declared he was a supporter of the Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
coalition
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
but so was his Unionist
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...
opponent, C S Parker He may have received the Coalition Coupon because he is described in one important and reliable record as a Coalition Liberal but one historian of the Liberal Party believes Rees was one of 29 Liberal candidates denied the coupon. Another source indicates that Rees was denied the coupon but immediately accepted the Coalition Whip on getting into Parliament. At the time of the election Rees stated that his political priorities were the housing question and the reform of the jury system. He won the seat with a majority of 602 votes.
Rees was unable to hold his seat at Barnstaple at the 1922 general election
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...
losing narrowly by just 174 votes in a straight fight with the Conservative candidate Basil Peto. However in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
when the Liberal Party was united around the question of Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
he won the seat back from Peto with a majority of 1,266 in a three-cornered contest including a 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...
candidate. In 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
he lost the seat back to Peto again in a straight fight by 1,195 votes. He did not contest the seat after 1924 or try to get back into the House of Commons for any other constituency.
Rees tended to be on the conservative wing of the Liberal Party. Chris Cook describes Rees as a member of a right-wing coterie of Liberal MPs who could usually be found supporting the Conservatives when the party vote was split during the period of the first Labour government of 1924.
Other public service
Rees served as Deputy Chairman of the Road and Rail Traffic Appeal TribunalThe Road and Rail Traffic Appeal Tribunal
The Road and Rail Traffic Appeal Tribunal was appointed under the Road and Rail Traffic Act of 1933. The Act came into effect on 1 January 1934. The function of the Tribunal was to examine road haulage and to establish a licensing procedure for goods vehicles....
and was made a Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in 1921 and of Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England, covering the town of Epsom and the village of Ewell. The borough was formed as an urban district in 1894, and was known as Epsom until 1934. It was made a municipal borough in 1937...
in Surrey in 1954.
Death
His Honour Judge Tudor Rees died at his home in TadworthTadworth
Tadworth is a large suburban village in Surrey, on the south-east slope of Epsom Downs. It forms part of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The census area Tadworth and Walton has a population of 7,016. Neighbouring settlements include Walton-on-the-Hill, Kingswood, Epsom, Burgh Heath, Banstead,...
, Surrey aged 75 on 27 February 1956.
Publications
- Our Jury System – publisher and date of publication not known
- Welsh Disestablishment, Objections Answered; Hodder & Stoughton 1912
- Reserved Judgment: Some Reflections and Recollections, Muller, 1956
- Divorce Handbook, Butterworth’s 1963
- The Criminal Justice Act, 1948: an explanatory handbook for magistrates, practitioners and probation officers, Butterworth’s 1949 (with Ernest Graham)
- Inquiry into the Compulsory Proposed Amalgamation of the County Police Forces of Leicestershire and Rutland, Home Office publications, 1950
- They Stand Apart: A critical survey of the problems of homosexuality (with H V Usill eds.) William Heinemann: London, 1955