Thomas Robinson (Stretford Politician)
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Sir Thomas Robinson (2 January 1864 – 30 December 1953) was an English industrialist, Liberal politician and Member of Parliament, who late in his career sat in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
.


Birth and family

He was born at King Street,
Stretford Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located south of Manchester, south of Salfo ...
,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. He was the sixth child of Peter Robinson, a farm labourer/lamplighter, and Eliza (née Owen). He was married twice. First, to Emma Lowe of Stretford in January 1887, and second, in November 1936 he married Emmeline Mary Standring, also of Stretford. He had no children from either marriage. In religion he was an independent
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
.


Business career

Robinson had interests in the
dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular ...
trade, which had strong connections to the Lancashire textile industry. He was a director of the Bradford Dyers Association Ltd and Chairman of the Allied Trades, Bleaching, Dyeing and Printing Industries of Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. He also held appointments as the nominee of the
Federation of British Industries The Federation of British Industries (FBI) was an employers' association in the United Kingdom. History Founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916 as the United British Industries' Association, but renamed later that same year, ...
. He was instrumental, together with ICI, in the design and development of the nylon/polyester futuristic spun fabric "MORADA" which proved ideal for lining garments. It is estimated that around 1,700,000,000 garments were made with linings sold under the brand name Morada. He provided essential initial funding to build the first Maternity Hospital in Stretford.


Politics


Party affiliation

Robinson was mostly identified with the
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 ...
, but was successful in Parliamentary politics through a Liberal-Conservative pact and stood under the title Independent Free Trade and Anti-Socialist. He was always identified by the Liberal Party as a representative of the party, even at the 1924 general election, when he chose to describe himself as a
Constitutionalist Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". Political organizations are constitutional to ...
. The Constitutionalist label was one used by a number of candidates; many were Liberals or ex-Liberals like
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
. The Constitutionalists did not function as a party but fielded candidates in 1924 in constituencies where local
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and Liberal Associations collaborated against
socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
. Many ended up in the Conservative Party, but Robinson preferred to continue to receive the Liberal
whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
up until the 1929 general election, when he stood formally as an Independent.F. W. S. Craig, ''British Parliamentary Election Results, 1919-1949'', Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949, p.406


Local politics

Robinson started his political career in local government and administration. He was first elected to the Stretford Urban District Council in 1894.''
Who's Who A Who's Who (or Who Is Who) is a reference work consisting of biographical entries of notable people in a particular field. The oldest and best-known is the annual publication ''Who's Who (UK), Who's Who'', a reference work on contemporary promin ...
''
He was later elected as Chairman of the Council.''The Times House of Commons, 1919'', Politico's Publishing, 2004, p.57 He sat as Chairman of the Stretford Hundred Licensing Committee from 1916 to 1941 and was Chairman of the Manchester Port Sanitary Committee after 1927. In 1933, he became the first
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Stretford when the borough gained its
Charter of Incorporation A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the reci ...
. He sat as mayor again in 1944–1945 and was also an
Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
.''The Times'', 31 December 1953, p.8 In 1937 he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Stretford.


Parliament

Robinson entered Parliament at the 1918 general election when he was selected as Coalition Liberal candidate for his home Division of
Stretford Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located south of Manchester, south of Salfo ...
. That is to say, he was the candidate of the
Coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
of
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
and the
Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...
of
Bonar Law Andrew Bonar Law (; 16 September 1858 – 30 October 1923) was a British statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1922 to May 1923. Law was born in the British colony of New Brunswick (now a Canadi ...
, and as such he received the
Coalition coupon The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place soon after British victory in the ...
. He won the seat by a large majority in a straight fight against Labour. Robinson held his seat at the 1922 general election, standing as a Lloyd George
National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...
, again in a straight fight with Labour. He held again against Labour, this time described solely as a Liberal, in
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
, and in another straight fight in
1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...
he won Stretford for a fourth time, although this time standing as a Constitutionalist. Although the Constitutionalists were included in the Unionist lists of Parliamentary candidates, Robinson's victory at Stretford in 1924 was recorded as "no change" in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' newspaper results from the election, rather than as a Constitutionalist or Unionist gain from the Liberals. At the 1929 general election, Robinson described himself as an Independent, saying he was not fighting on party lines. He declined the Liberal whip in the following Parliament but was often still referred to in the press as a Liberal MP. He did not stand for Parliament again.


Other appointments

Robinson was Chairman of the Local Legislation Committee of the House of Commons, 1922–1931, Chairman of the Dye Stuff Licensing Committee from 1923 to 1934, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Stretford Corporation. He was a member of the Council of the
Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. A ...
and served as a member of the Lancashire Rivers Board and the Mersey and Irwell Catchment Board, being its first Chairman. He was a Justice of the Peace for the county of Lancashire. In 1939 he was elected President of
Lancashire County Cricket Club Lancashire Cricket Club represents the Historic counties of England, historic county of Lancashire in Cricket in England, English cricket. The club has held first-class cricket, first-class status since it was founded in 1864. Lancashire's ho ...
.


Honours

Robinson was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the
1919 New Year Honours The 1919 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Janu ...
. He was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in the 1920 New Year Honours for public and Parliamentary services and was appointed
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(KBE) in 1934.


Death

He died suddenly at his home, The Hawthorns, Edge Lane, Stretford on 30 December 1953 aged 89 years.


Footnotes


References

*Obituary, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 31 December 1953


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Thomas 1864 births 1953 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 Independent members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom English Methodists People from Stretford Mayors of places in Greater Manchester Politics of Lancashire National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) politicians