Frank John Powell

Frank John Powell (15 March 1891 – 31 October 1971), was a British Liberal Party politician and magistrate.

Background

He was the son of Francis Cox Powell. He was educated at Rutlish School and Inns of Court. He married, in 1915, Irene Hesse Wyatt. They had two sons and one daughter. His wife died in 1955. He married Joan Selley, who died in 1965. He married Betty Edelson who died in 1971.[1]

Career

He was with the Queen's Westminster Rifles, 1910–14. He was a Captain in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1914–18 and was gassed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. He was Called to the Bar, Middle Temple, in 1921. He practised in London and on the South East circuit.[2] He was a Metropolitan Police Magistrate from 1936–63; Greenwich and Woolwich 1936–40, Tower Bridge 1940–42 and Clerkenwell 1942–63. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Surrey in 1937. He was Hon. Legal adviser to the New Malden Citizens Advice Bureau, 1939–46. He was a Member of Council of the Magistrates Association, 1942–60. He was a Member of the Chairmen’s Panel, of the Metropolitan Juvenile Courts, 1946–52.[3]

Political career

He was on the executive committee of the National Young Life Campaign.[4] He was Liberal candidate for the Kingston-upon-Thames Division of Surrey at the 1929 General Election. Kingston was a safe Conservative seat that they had won at every election since it was created in 1885. Along with the national trend, Powell was able to increase the Liberal vote share;

General Election 1929: Kingston upon Thames[5] Electorate 56,004
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Frederick Penny 20,911 54.1 -16.1
Labour J.W. Fawcett 8,903 23.1 +3.3
Liberal Frank John Powell 8,796 22.8 +12.8
Majority 12,008 31.0
Turnout 68.9 -2.4
Conservative hold Swing -9.7

Following the formation of the National Government in 1931 there was another General Election. As a consequence, the Liberal Party did not run a candidate in Kingston against the Conservative who was the sitting National government candidate. Powell was Chairman of the Malden branch of the League of Nations Union.[6] He was Liberal candidate again for the Kingston-upon-Thames Division of Surrey at the 1935 General Election. By then, the electoral fortunes of the party were in decline and he came a poor third;

General Election 1935: Kingston upon Thames [7] Electorate 74,476
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sir Frederick Penny 32,953 67.5
Labour George H Loman 10,014 20.5
Liberal Frank John Powell 5,832 12.0
Majority 22,939 47.0
Turnout 65.5
Conservative hold Swing

An opportunity came to contest the seat again at the Kingston upon Thames by-election, 1937, but the Liberal party did not field a candidate.[8] He was Chairman of the National Association of Homes and Hostels, 1955–60. He was President of the Probation Officers Christian Fellowship, 1954–66.[9]

Photographs of Powell at the National Portrait Gallery: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp68942/frank-john-powell

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ukWhosWho.com
  2. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  3. ↑ http://www.ukWhosWho.com
  4. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  5. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.
  6. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1935
  7. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.
  8. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.
  9. ↑ http://www.ukWhosWho.com
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