Gerald France

Gerald Ashburner France
Gerald Ashburner France
	France in 1917
Member of Parliament for Morley
	In office; 1910–1918
Preceded by	Alfred Hutton
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Batley and Morley
	In office; 1918–1922
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Ben Turner
Personal details
Born	4 August 1870
Died	11 February 1935 (aged 64)
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Hilda Bainbridge (m. 1898)
Children	5
Parent	James Ashburner France (father);
Education	Rydal, North Wales
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1914-18
Rank	lieutenant
Unit	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Battles / wars	World War I

Gerald Ashburner France (4 August 1870 – 11 February 1935) was a British businessman and importer and Liberal Party politician.

Family and education

Gerald Ashburner France was the son of James Ashburner France of Tynemouth and was rooted in the commercial and social life of the North East of England. His home was at Newbiggin Hall, Westerhope in Newcastle upon Tyne. In religion, France was a Methodist^[1] and he was educated at Rydal, a boarding school in North Wales founded in the Methodist tradition. In 1898, he married Hilda Bainbridge from Eshott in Northumberland. They had four sons and a daughter.^[2]

Career

France had a business career as an agent and importer in the North East.^[3] He rose to become governing director of the firm J A France & Co. of London and Newcastle as well as Chairman of Scott & Turner Ltd, a firm of Newcastle tinprinters. During the First World War, France served as a temporary lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.^[4]

Politics

Local politics

France became a member of Northumberland County Council in 1903,^[5] representing the coal mining area of Prudhoe^[6] and was made an Alderman in 1913.^[7] He was sometime chairman of the old age pensions committee of the county of Northumberland^[8] and also served as chairman of the county's Parliamentary Committee and of its Health Establishment Committee.^[9]

Parliament

France had Parliamentary ambitions. His name was mentioned as a possible Liberal candidate for the seat of Gateshead in 1909 to succeed the Lib-Lab MP, John Johnson^[10] but although he was not chosen he was soon selected elsewhere. He entered Parliament at the January 1910 general election when he held the Liberal seat of Morley in the West Riding of Yorkshire by a majority of 4,631 votes over the Unionist in a three-cornered contest.^[11] France held his seat at the December 1910 general election when he was returned unopposed.^[12]

The Morley constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election and France was adopted as Liberal candidate for the new seat of Batley and Morley. He fought the seat as a Coalition Liberal (as Lieutenant Gerald France) and was not opposed by a Conservative or Independent Liberal. He was presumably awarded the Coalition coupon and in a straight with Labour candidate Ben Turner, France took the seat by a majority of 1,468 votes.^[13]

France may have seen the political writing on the wall as he did not defend his seat at the 1922 general election when Batley and Morley fell to Ben Turner for Labour. He did not stand for Parliament again.^[14]

Electoral record

General election January 1910: Morley ^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gerald Ashburner France	8,026	59.0	n/a
	Conservative	John Stobart Charlesworth	3,395	24.9	n/a
	Labour	Herbert Smith	2,191	16.1	n/a
Majority			4,631	34.1	n/a
Turnout				86.0	n/a
	Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

General election December 1910: Morley^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gerald Ashburner France	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1918 Batley and Morley^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Liberal	Gerald Ashburner France	13,519	52.9	n/a
	Labour	Ben Turner	12,051	47.1	n/a
Majority			1,468	5.8	n/a
Turnout				66.9	n/a
	Liberal win (new seat)
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Political appointments

In 1916, France was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the President of the Board of Trade,^[18] Walter Runciman.^[19] He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland in August 1932 ^[20] He was also sometime President of the Gladstone Club.^[21]

Other public appointments

France was sometime President of the National Commercial Temperance League,^[22] a body formed in the 1890s to appeal to the business and professional community in the economic and ethical field of thought to promote temperance.^[23] He was also a member of the national executive committee of the Boys' Brigade.^[24]

Death

Towards the end of his political career, France's health began to deteriorate. Just before Christmas of 1934, he went to Tenerife on doctors' advice for the benefit of his condition. Back in England in the new year, he was taken to hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne on 21 January where he was kept until he died on 11 February.^[25]

References

^ Stephen Koss, Nonconformity in Modern British Politics; Basford, 1975 p. 154
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p86
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ The Times, 6 December 1910 p7
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ The Times, 12 January 1909 p10
^ The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87
^ The Times House of Commons 1911; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p95
^ The Times House of Commons 1919; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p24
^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p691
^ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
^ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
^ British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ Sir Archibald Spicer Hurd, Who goes there?; Hutchinson &Co, 1942 p169
^ The Times, 3 August 1932 p13
^ The Times, 6 December 1910 p7
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ "AIM25: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation". www.aim25.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2004.
^ Who was Who, OUP 2007
^ Chemist and druggist: the newsweekly for pharmacy; Volume 122, 1935 p195

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Alfred Hutton	Member of Parliament for Morley January 1910 – 1918	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Batley and Morley 1918 – 1922	Succeeded by Ben Turner

[1] Stephen Koss, Nonconformity in Modern British Politics; Basford, 1975 p. 154

[2] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[3] The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p86

[4] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[5] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[6] The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87

[7] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[8] The Times, 6 December 1910 p7

[9] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[10] The Times, 12 January 1909 p10

[11] The Times House of Commons 1910; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 pp86-87

[12] The Times House of Commons 1911; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p95

[13] The Times House of Commons 1919; Politico’s Publishing, 2004 p24

[14] F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p691

[15] British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

[16] British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)

[17] British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig

[18] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[19] Sir Archibald Spicer Hurd, Who goes there?; Hutchinson &Co, 1942 p169

[20] The Times, 3 August 1932 p13

[21] The Times, 6 December 1910 p7

[22] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[23] "AIM25: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation: Institute of Alcohol Studies, Alliance House Foundation". www.aim25.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2004.

[24] Who was Who, OUP 2007

[25] Chemist and druggist: the newsweekly for pharmacy; Volume 122, 1935 p195

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