Joseph Ormond Andrews (1873 – 26 January 1909)[1] was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.
Andrews was educated at the Ripon Cathedral Choir School.
A barrister by profession, Andrews was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1898 and practised on the North Eastern circuit. A Freemason, he was a member of the Zetland Lodge in Leeds. A keen sportsman, he was a follower of the Bramham Moor Hounds, and ran horses at the Wetherby Steeplechase.
He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Barkston Ash at a by-election in October 1905 following the death of Sir Robert Gunter, defeating the Conservative candidate George Lane-Fox by 228 votes. The seat had never been won by the Liberals before.[2]
However, as Parliament was not sitting at the time, Andrews was unable to take his seat.
Andrews lost the seat only 3 months later at the 1906 general election to the Conservative Party candidate George Lane-Fox, losing by 548 votes.[2] His defeat was one of the few Liberal losses at an election which saw the party win a landslide majority in the House of Commons.
Andrews thus became one of the shortest-serving Members of Parliament, and one of only a handful never to take their seats.
Andrews died, in 1909, at Boston Spa, Leeds after two operations for appendicitis. He was 36 years old and left a widow and two children.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Robert Gunter |
Member of Parliament for Barkston Ash 1905–1906 |
Succeeded by George Lane-Fox |