Charles Royle (Stockport politician)
Encyclopedia
Charles Royle was an English butcher
and Liberal
politician.
Wesleyan Higher Grade School. He married Maria, the daughter of Oliver Wolfe and they had four sons and two daughters. One of his sons was Charles Royle
, who was Labour
MP for West Salford
Town Council for 44 years in all, rising to be an Alderman
and Mayor
of the town four times. In 1947 he was made a freeman
of the Borough of Stockport.
at the 1923 general election
in Stockport
. Stockport was a two member seat. The two members since the by-election of 1920
caused by the death of one and the resignation of the other sitting Lloyd George Coalition government MPs had been the Conservative
William Greenwood and the National Liberal
Henry Fildes
. At the 1923 general election Royle joined Fildes as the Liberal team to fight the two seats. This time Fildes was fighting as a Liberal without prefix or suffix. In the event Greenwood retained his seat for the Tories and Royle leapfrogged over Fildes to take the second seat for the Liberals.
At the 1924 general election
however, Royle was unable to hold his seat. He shared the fight against two Conservatives with Labour candidate Arnold Townend but the Tories won both seats.
What the arrangement was between Royle and Fildes is uncertain but when Greenwood died on 19 August 1925 causing a by-election in Stockport
it was Fildes rather than Royle who was adopted to fight the seat for the Liberals. Townend fought again for Labour winning the contest and holding the seat until 1931
.
Royle fought Stockport again, as a pair with Fildes, at the 1929 general election
, although this time he was described on the ticket as an Independent Liberal. but he came bottom of the poll and lost his deposit
. He did not stand for Parliament again.
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Charles Royle was the son of Samuel and Mary Royle. He was educated at PortwoodPortwood
Portwood is an area in Stockport, England, lying just outside the town centre, and based around Great Portwood Street. It is a mixed area, with the part closest to the town centre mainly given over to shops and the further part residential...
Wesleyan Higher Grade School. He married Maria, the daughter of Oliver Wolfe and they had four sons and two daughters. One of his sons was Charles Royle
Charles Royle, Baron Royle
Charles Royle, Baron Royle JP was a British businessman and Labour politician.-Background:He was the son of Charles Royle, who had been also a Member of Parliament, and his wife Maria, daughter of Oliver Wolfe. Royle was educated at Stockport Grammar School and joined the Royal Engineers in the...
, who was Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP for West Salford
Salford West (UK Parliament constituency)
Salford West was a parliamentary constituency in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester from 1885 until 1983. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
Career
After leaving school, Royle went straight to work in the meat trade, eventually qualifying as a master butcher. He gained the respect and confidence of his peers in the trade and became President of the National Federation of Meat Traders Associations, a position he held twice in 1929 and 1942.Local politics
Royle had a long career in local government. He was a member of StockportStockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
Town Council for 44 years in all, rising to be an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the town four times. In 1947 he was made a freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the Borough of Stockport.
Parliament
Royle first stood for election to the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
in Stockport
Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. Stockport was a two member seat. The two members since the by-election of 1920
Stockport by-election, 1920
The Stockport by-election, 1920 was a parliamentary by-election held on 27 March 1920 for the constituency of Stockport, in Cheshire.It followed the death of Spencer Leigh Hughes and resignation of George Wardle, the two Members of Parliament for Stockport. With the departure of both MPs, a...
caused by the death of one and the resignation of the other sitting Lloyd George Coalition government MPs had been the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
William Greenwood and the National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
Henry Fildes
Henry Fildes
Sir Henry Fildes was a Liberal Party, later National Liberal Party) and later still Liberal National Party politician in the United Kingdom...
. At the 1923 general election Royle joined Fildes as the Liberal team to fight the two seats. This time Fildes was fighting as a Liberal without prefix or suffix. In the event Greenwood retained his seat for the Tories and Royle leapfrogged over Fildes to take the second seat for the Liberals.
At the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
however, Royle was unable to hold his seat. He shared the fight against two Conservatives with Labour candidate Arnold Townend but the Tories won both seats.
What the arrangement was between Royle and Fildes is uncertain but when Greenwood died on 19 August 1925 causing a by-election in Stockport
Stockport by-election, 1925
The Stockport by-election, 1925 was a by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Stockport in Cheshire on 17 September 1925. The by-election was won by the Labour Party candidate Arnold Townend.- Vacancy :...
it was Fildes rather than Royle who was adopted to fight the seat for the Liberals. Townend fought again for Labour winning the contest and holding the seat until 1931
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
.
Royle fought Stockport again, as a pair with Fildes, at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, although this time he was described on the ticket as an Independent Liberal. but he came bottom of the poll and lost his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
. He did not stand for Parliament again.