James Bell (Ormskirk MP)
James Bell JP MP (c. 1872 – 28 December 1955) was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician.[1][2]
Bell was born in Darlington, County Durham,[3] the son of John Bell, a coalminer, and his wife Margaret (née Guy). At age 13, he began working as a cotton weaver at a factory in Haworth, Yorkshire, then moved with his father and brothers to Nelson, Lancashire to work in one of the town's mills.[2][4] He became involved in trade union activities, leading to his sacking on three occasions.[4] He subsequently moved to the town of Oldham, becoming secretary of the Oldham Weavers' Association in 1905, a post he held for 41 years.[4][5] He was the first president of the Oldham Labour Party, and attempted to gain election to the Borough Council without success.[1][4]
In 1918, he was elected as member of parliament for Ormskirk, the first non Conservative to be elected for this seat since its creation in 1885.[1] This was principally due to a divided Conservative vote between the Coalition Conservatives and the candidate of the National Farmers Union. Bell served only one term in parliament, losing his seat at the next election in 1922.
He continued his union activities: in 1924 he was appointed secretary of the International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations, and was subsequently secretary of the United Textile Factory Workers Association, and in 1930 took part in a trade mission to China.[6][7][8]
In 1895, he married Elizabeth Hannah.[1] They had at least six children,[9] including two sons who were in the Army during the First World War.[3] He died, aged 83, in an Oldham hospital in 1955.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Bell, James". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2011. (Subscription required (help)).
- 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench illustrated with 500 armorial engravings (PDF). London: Dean & Son. 1922. p. 13. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- 1 2 "Some New Members – Mr. James Bell (Ormskirk)". Liverpool Daily Post. 30 December 1918. Retrieved 11 August 2017. (Subscription required (help)).
- 1 2 3 4 White, Joseph L (1978). The limits of trade union militancy: the Lancashire textile workers, 1910-1914. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0-313-20029-8.
- 1 2 "Obituary". The Times. 29 December 1955. p. 10.
- ↑ Fowler, Alan (2003). Lancashire cotton operatives and work, 1900-1950: a social history of Lancashire cotton operatives in the twentieth century. Ashgate Publishing. pp. 102–103. ISBN 978-0-7546-0116-6.
- ↑ "General Cable News". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 August 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ "Far East (Economic Mission)". Hansard 1803-2005. 30 July 1930. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ 1911 England Census
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James Bell
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Arthur Stanley |
Member of Parliament for Ormskirk 1918 – 1922 |
Succeeded by Francis Blundell |
| Trade union offices | ||
| Preceded by A. Birtles |
Secretary of the Oldham Weavers', Reelers' and Winders' Association 1905 – 1946 |
Succeeded by James Milhench |
| Preceded by J. Kuypers |
Secretary of the International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations 1925 – 1936 |
Succeeded by J. Kuypers |
| Preceded by Joseph Cross |
Secretary of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association 1925 – 1931 |
Succeeded by Cephas Speak |
| Preceded by Ebby Edwards and John Marchbank |
Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour 1929 With: James Thomas Brownlie |
Succeeded by Allan Findlay and Arthur Shaw |
| Preceded by James Hindle |
President of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association 1937 – 1947 |
Succeeded by Carey Hargreaves |
| Preceded by James Hindle and William Wood |
Cotton Group member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress 1937 – 1945 With: William Wood (1937 – 1938) Robert C. Handley (1938 – 1940) Alfred Roberts (1940 – 1945) |
Succeeded by Andrew Naesmith and Alfred Roberts |