Gerald Ashburner France (4 August 1870 – 11 February 1935) was a British businessman and importer and Liberal Party politician.
Gerald France | |
|---|---|
 France in 1917 | |
| Member of Parliament for Batley and Morley Morley (1910–1918) | |
| In office 15 January 1910 – 15 November 1922 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred Hutton |
| Succeeded by | Ben Turner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerald Ashburner France 4 August 1870 |
| Died | 11 February 1935 (aged 64) |
| Party | Liberal (Before 1916, 1923–1935) |
Other political affiliations | Coalition Liberal (1916–1922) National Liberal (1922–1923) |
| Spouse |
Hilda Bainbridge (m. 1898) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | Rydal Penrhos |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
Branch |  Royal Navy |
Service years | 1914-18 |
Rank | lieutenant |
| Unit | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
Conflicts | World War I |
Early life and career
editGerald Ashburner France was the son of James Ashburner France of Tynemouth and was rooted in the commercial and social life of the North East of England. His home was at Newbiggin Hall, Westerhope in Newcastle upon Tyne. In religion, France was a Methodist[1] and he was educated at Rydal, a boarding school in North Wales founded in the Methodist tradition. In 1898, he married Hilda Bainbridge from Eshott in Northumberland. They had four sons and a daughter.[2]
France had a business career as an agent and importer in the North East.[3] He rose to become governing director of the firm J A France & Co. of London and Newcastle as well as Chairman of Scott & Turner Ltd, a firm of Newcastle tinprinters. During the First World War, France served as a temporary lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.[2]
Political career
editLocal politics
editFrance became a member of Northumberland County Council in 1903,[2] representing the coal mining area of Prudhoe[4] and was made an Alderman in 1913.[2] He was sometime chairman of the old age pensions committee of the county of Northumberland[5] and also served as chairman of the county's Parliamentary Committee and of its Health Establishment Committee.[2]
Parliament
editFrance had Parliamentary ambitions. His name was mentioned as a possible Liberal candidate for the seat of Gateshead in 1909 to succeed the Lib-Lab MP, John Johnson[6] but although he was not chosen he was soon selected elsewhere. He entered Parliament at the January 1910 general election when he held the Liberal seat of Morley in the West Riding of Yorkshire by a majority of 4,631 votes over the Unionist in a three-cornered contest.[7] France held his seat at the December 1910 general election when he was returned unopposed.[8]
In 1916, France was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the President of the Board of Trade,[2] Walter Runciman.[9] He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland in August 1932 [10] He was also sometime President of the Gladstone Club.[11]
The Morley constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election and France was adopted as Liberal candidate for the new seat of Batley and Morley. He fought the seat as a Coalition Liberal (as Lieutenant Gerald France) and was not opposed by a Conservative or Independent Liberal. He was presumably awarded the Coalition coupon and in a straight with Labour candidate Ben Turner, France took the seat by a majority of 1,468 votes.[12]
France may have seen the political writing on the wall as he did not defend his seat at the 1922 general election when Batley and Morley fell to Ben Turner for Labour. He did not stand for Parliament again.[13]
Elections contested
editUK Parliament elections
edit| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 (Jan) | Morley | Liberal | 8,026 | 59.0 | Elected[14] | |
| 1910 (Dec) | Morley | Liberal | Unopposed | Elected[14] | ||
| 1918 | Batley and Morley | Coalition Liberal | 13,519 | 52.9 | Elected[13] | |
Other public appointments
editFrance was sometime President of the National Commercial Temperance League,[2] a body formed in the 1890s to appeal to the business and professional community in the economic and ethical field of thought to promote temperance.[15] He was also a member of the national executive committee of the Boys' Brigade.[2]
Death
editTowards the end of his political career, France's health began to deteriorate. Just before Christmas of 1934, he went to Tenerife on doctors' advice for the benefit of his condition. Back in England in the new year, he was taken to hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne on 21 January where he was kept until he died on 11 February.[16]
References
edit- ↑ Stephen Koss, Nonconformity in Modern British Politics; Basford, 1975 p. 154
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Who was Who, OUP 2007
- ↑ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p86
- ↑ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87
- ↑ The Times, 6 December 1910 p7
- ↑ The Times, 12 January 1909 p10
- ↑ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87
- ↑ The Times House of Commons 1911; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p95
- ↑ Sir Archibald Spicer Hurd, Who goes there?; Hutchinson &Co, 1942 p169
- ↑ The Times, 3 August 1932 p13
- ↑ The Times, 6 December 1910 p7
- ↑ The Times House of Commons 1919; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p24
- 1 2 Craig, Fred W. S (1969). British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949. Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0900178019. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- 1 2 British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
- ↑ "AIM25: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation". www.aim25.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2004.
- ↑ Chemist and druggist: the newsweekly for pharmacy; Volume 122, 1935 p195