William Robert Bousfield (12 January 1854 – 16 July 1943) was a British lawyer, Conservative politician and scientist.
He was the son of Edward Tenney Bousfield, an engineer, from Bedford. He attended Bedford Modern School before serving an apprenticeship as an engineer. In 1872 he was admitted to Caius College, Cambridge, winning a scholarship there in 1873.[1] Following graduation and a brief period as a lecturer at the University of Bristol, he decided to study law. In 1880 he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple. His knowledge of engineering led to him becoming a renowned expert on patent law.[2] He became a Queen's Counsel in 1891 (which office became King's Counsel on the accession of a King in 1901).[2] He was elected a bencher of the Inner Temple in 1897, and treasurer in 1920.[2]
Politically, Bousfield was a Conservative, and stood unsuccessfully twice for election as member of parliament for Mid Lanarkshire in the 1880s. He entered the Commons at a by-election at Hackney North in May 1892. He held the seat at the 1895 and 1900 elections, before being unseated by Thomas Hart-Davies, when the Liberals swept to power at the 1906 general election. He did not stand for election again.[2]
Bousfield was an enthusiastic amateur scientist, particularly interested in physical chemistry and electrolysis. He worked in collaboration with T M Lowry, and their work was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, of which Bousfield was made a fellow in 1916.[3] When his health began to fail in the 1920s, he was no longer able to carry out laboratory experiments, and turned his attention to psychology. He wrote three books on the subject: A Neglected Complex (1924), The Mind and its Mechanism (1927) and The Basis of Memory (1928).[2][3]
In 1879 he married Florence Kelly of Shanklin, Isle of Wight.[2][3] W R Bousfield died in Ottery St Mary in July 1943, aged 89.[2][3]
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Lewis Pelly |
Member of Parliament for Hackney North 1892 - 1906 |
Succeeded by Thomas Hart-Davies |