Edward Aldam Leatham (2 August 1828 – 6 February 1900) was an English academic and

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician, Member of Parliament for

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

Background and early life

Leatham was the son of banker William Leatham of Heath near

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

, by his wife Margaret Walker, daughter and heiress of Joshua Walker, of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. The family was part of an influential

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

community in Yorkshire, one of which had been imprisoned for her religious views. His brother

William Henry Leatham William Henry Leatham (6 July 1815 – 14 November 1889) was a British banker, poet and Liberal politician. Life He was a member of a Yorkshire Quaker family. His father was William Leatham, a banker from Heath, near Wakefield and his mother wa ...

was MP for

and Southern West Riding, and his sister Margaret Elizabeth Leatham married the liberal statesman

John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn La ...

. He was educated at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, graduating BA in 1848 and MA in 1851 with a distinction which led to his election as a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the college.

Political career

Leatham was narrowly elected MP for

at the

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia are uni ...

General Election, winning the representation from Edward Akroyd, "whose Liberalism was of a more Whiggish type" and there was an attempt to unseat him. His victory was celebrated at a banquet at which

Richard Cobden Richard Cobden (3 June 1804 – 2 April 1865) was an English Radicals (UK), Radical and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician, manufacturing, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti–Corn Law L ...

, Frank Crossley, Baines and others were present. In 1861 he instituted the Huddersfield College Prize Medals for history and English declamation which were awarded for the two subjects in alternate years. In July 1865 he was defeated by Colonel Crosland who died in 1868 and Leatham won the ensuing by-election with a large majority over

William Campbell Sleigh William Campbell Sleigh (1818– 23 January 1887) was an English lawyer and politician. He became a serjeant-at-law in 1868, the last person received into Serjeants' Inn who was not a judge. Early life Sleigh was born in Dublin, the eldest son of ...

. He held the seat until his retirement in 1886. He supported disestablishment of the Church, undenominational education and was opposed to Home Rule. In 1875, he acquired an estate at

Miserden Miserden is a village and civil parish in Stroud District, Gloucestershire, England, north east of Stroud. The parish includes Whiteway Colony and the hamlets of Sudgrove and The Camp. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 420 ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. He was a justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant for the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

, and later a deputy lieutenant for

, of which county he was high sheriff in 1891. He was a scholar and published a historical romance ''Charmione: A Tale of the Great Athenian Revolution'' in 1858. His politics was heavily influenced by his brother-in-law Bright's ideas. For example, Leatham introduced the bill that would become the

Ballot Act 1872 The Ballot Act 1872 ( 35 & 36 Vict. c. 33) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced the requirement for parliamentary and local government elections in the United Kingdom to be held by secret ballot. The act abolishe ...

.LEAVE. FIRST READING. House of Commons Debates, MR. LEATHAM
14 February 1870 vol 199 cc268-84 § 268 Leatham died at his residence at Miserden, on 6 February 1900 aged 71.

Family

Leatham was twice married. He first married a sister of Bright, Mary Jane Fowler of Melksham in 1851. Following her death, he married a daughter of Rev. John Constable, and she survived him. His eldest son was Arthur William Leatham. By his first wife, Leatham had four sons and four daughters; by the second, four sons and three daughters.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leatham, Edward Aldam 1828 births 1900 deaths Politicians from Wakefield Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 High sheriffs of Gloucestershire