H. T. Muggeridge

Henry Thomas "H.T.M." Muggeridge (26 June 1864 - March 1942) was a UK politician and father of famous author and journalist, Malcolm Muggeridge.

HTM was born the son of a Penge undertaker on 26 June 1864. When the family was abandoned by his father, HTM left school and began work as an office boy in the City of London. The little money he kept for himself was spent on books, and it was his avid lunchtime reading that led to a keen interest in politics. His second job was again as an office boy for a firm of shirtmakers, where he stayed until he retired. He eventually became Company Secretary, but had turned down a directorship, as he felt it was at odds with his political principles (or prospects?).

In 1893, HTM married Annie Booler, the daughter of a Sheffield factory foreman, and they had five sons, Malcolm being the middle child. Malcolm would describe his father as a small bearded man with a large frame, a twinkling eye and a rather bulbous nose.

One of Malcolm's quoted memories of his father is of his visits to the market in Surrey Street, where he would set up his platform and spout forth his views on the need for socialism: "Now ladies and gentlemen. It's His Majesty's Government, His Majesty's Navy, His Majesty's Stationery Office, His Majesty's this and His Majesty's that. But it's the National Debt. Why isn't that His Majesty's? We'll gladly let His Majesty have that, won't we?"

His early interest in politics at first led to joining the Penge Liberals, where he campaigned for local facilities. By his late twenties, he was a socialist, and joined first the Fabians, then the Independent Labour Party. An excellent public speaker, he founded and became secretary of the Croydon Socialist Society in 1895, and stood for the Council in Norwood in 1896 and 1897. He was not to be successful until November 1911, although Croydon had already had several Labour councillors. He was the first President of Ruskin House, the Labour and Trade Union centre in Croydon, instrumental in its relocation and refounding.

HTM remained a Croydon councillor until 1930, at which time he also became a Justice of the Peace. He was instrumental in getting Croydon's first council houses built, and campaigned for Trade Union rates of pay for all municipal employees.

Although he stood for Parliament in Croydon South (now Croydon Central) four times in 1918, 1922, 1923, 1924, Muggeridge finally became MP for Romford in 1929. He lost his seat in 1931, and returned to Croydon Council in 1933 retiring in 1940, at the age of 75.

HTM died in Hastings, East Sussex in 1942 and was buried in Whatlington, near Battle, East Sussex.

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by H. T. Muggeridge