Clare Sewell Read
Encyclopedia
Clare Sewell Read was a British
agriculturist and Conservative
politician.
, Norfolk
, and was the eldest son of George Read of Barton Bendish Hall
, and his wife Sarah Anne, daughter of Clare Sewell. The family had been farming land in Norfolk for three centuries, and following private education in King's Lynn
Read spent five years learning practical agriculture on his father's farm at Plumstead
. He subsequently managed large farms in Pembrokeshire
and Oxfordshire
, before returning to Plumstead in 1854. In 1865 he inherited an 800 acres (3.2 km²) farm at Honingham Thorpe
, which he farmed for the next three decades. He was described in 1870 as "a yeoman and tenant farmer on an extensive scale".
he was elected as a Conservative member of parliament
for East Norfolk
. On the redistribution of seats in 1868
he became one of two MPs for South Norfolk
. Politically he described himself as a "liberal Conservative", supporting the equitable settlement of the Irish land question. He was also a champion of agricultural interests, and sought the abolition of the malt tax.
In 1874 he was appointed to a junior ministerial post in the Second Disraeli ministry
as Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board
. He resigned in January 1876 in protest against the government's policy on controlling the spread of foot and mouth disease, when the government failed to extend the Cattle Diseases Act to Ireland. He was presented with a cheque for 5,500 pounds by English farming organisations in recognition of his stand on the issue. He lost his seat in parliament at the 1880 general election
by a single vote.
Following the loss of his seat, he refused candidacies at North Lincolnshire
and Cambridgeshire
. In 1884 the sitting member for West Norfolk
resigned, and Read was elected unopposed to fill the vacancy at the ensuing by-election. His return to the Commons was only brief, however, as he chose not to stand at the 1885 general election
. He was persuaded to stand at Norwich
when a further election was called in 1886
. He did not take the seat, and did not make any more attempts to enter parliament.
for reports on farming in South Wales, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. In 1866 he joined the Farmers Club
, and twice served as its chairman. He was at various times a member of the Smithfield Club, vice president of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and president of the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture. He was frequently a judge at major agricultural shows, including the Royal Show
, the Smithfield Show and the Royal Bath and West Show
.
In 1879 a Royal Commission on the Depressed State of the Agricultural Interest under the chairmanship of the Duke of Richmond
was appointed. Along with Albert Pell, Read was made an assistant commissioner, and the two men visited the United States and Canada to inquire into the production and export of wheat. Over six months the two assistant commissioners travelled 16000 miles (25,749.4 km).
investigation into corn sales, and in 1894 appeared before the Royal Commission on Agriculture. In 1896 Read retired from farming, and in the following year the landlords and tenant farmers of Norfolk formally presented Read with his portrait at a ceremony at the Norwich Shire Hall to mark their "deep sense... of the value of the services that he had rendered to agriculture".
On retirement, Read moved to London, taking up residence at 91 Kensington Gardens Square. In his latter years he was a supporter of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
, seeking to promote humane methods of slaughtering domestic animals.
Clare Sewell Read died at his London home in August 1905. He was buried in Barton Bendish
, Norfolk.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
agriculturist and 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...
politician.
Early life
He was born in 1826 in KetteringhamKetteringham
Ketteringham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 169 in 70 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of South Norfolk....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and was the eldest son of George Read of Barton Bendish Hall
Barton Bendish
Barton Bendish is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is east of Downham Market, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies south of the town of Kings Lynn.The nearest railway station is at Downham Market for the Fen Line which runs...
, and his wife Sarah Anne, daughter of Clare Sewell. The family had been farming land in Norfolk for three centuries, and following private education in King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
Read spent five years learning practical agriculture on his father's farm at Plumstead
Plumstead, Norfolk
Plumstead is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north north west of Norwich, south-west of Cromer and north-east of London. The nearest town is Holt which is to the north west of the village. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham...
. He subsequently managed large farms in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, before returning to Plumstead in 1854. In 1865 he inherited an 800 acres (3.2 km²) farm at Honingham Thorpe
Honingham
Honingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, located to the west of Norwich along the A47 trunk road. It covers an area of and had a population of 342 in 145 households as of the 2001 census....
, which he farmed for the next three decades. He was described in 1870 as "a yeoman and tenant farmer on an extensive scale".
Family
In 1859 he married Sarah Maria Watson daughter of a former Sheriff of Norwich, and they had four daughters.House of Commons
In 1865United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
he was elected as a Conservative member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for East Norfolk
East Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
East Norfolk was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Norfolk. It returned two Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868. Another Eastern division was created in 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
. On the redistribution of seats in 1868
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
he became one of two MPs for South Norfolk
South Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
South Norfolk is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1868 until 1885 it returned two members but thereafter elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. Politically he described himself as a "liberal Conservative", supporting the equitable settlement of the Irish land question. He was also a champion of agricultural interests, and sought the abolition of the malt tax.
In 1874 he was appointed to a junior ministerial post in the Second Disraeli ministry
Second Disraeli ministry
-The Cabinet:† The Earl of Beaconsfield from August 1876.§ The Earl Cairns from September 1878.‡ The Viscount Cranbrook from May 1878.Notes*The Earl of Beaconsfield served as both First Lord of the Treasury and Lord Privy Seal from August 1876 to April 1878....
as Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board was, from 1871 – 1919, a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom subordinate to the President of the Local Government Board...
. He resigned in January 1876 in protest against the government's policy on controlling the spread of foot and mouth disease, when the government failed to extend the Cattle Diseases Act to Ireland. He was presented with a cheque for 5,500 pounds by English farming organisations in recognition of his stand on the issue. He lost his seat in parliament at the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
by a single vote.
Following the loss of his seat, he refused candidacies at North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Lincolnshire, formally known as the Northern Division of Lincolnshire or as Parts of Lindsey, was a county constituency in the Lindsey district of Lincolnshire...
and Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridgeshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Knights...
. In 1884 the sitting member for West Norfolk
West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
West Norfolk or Norfolk Western was a county constituency in the county of Norfolk, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general...
resigned, and Read was elected unopposed to fill the vacancy at the ensuing by-election. His return to the Commons was only brief, however, as he chose not to stand at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
. He was persuaded to stand at Norwich
Norwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Norwich was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election...
when a further election was called in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. He did not take the seat, and did not make any more attempts to enter parliament.
Agriculturist
Read was a recognised authority on matters agricultural. In 1848, 1854 and 1856 he was awarded prizes by the Royal Agricultural SocietyRoyal Agricultural Society
The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...
for reports on farming in South Wales, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. In 1866 he joined the Farmers Club
Farmers Club
The Farmers Club is a London club which is based at 3 Whitehall Court.-History:The club was founded in 1842 by the agricultural writer William Shaw, who invited the founder members from the newly-formed Royal Agricultural Society of England, and the Smithfield Club...
, and twice served as its chairman. He was at various times a member of the Smithfield Club, vice president of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and president of the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture. He was frequently a judge at major agricultural shows, including the Royal Show
Royal Show
The Royal Show was an annual agricultural show/fair held by the Royal Agricultural Society of England every year from 1839 to 2009. It was held in Stoneleigh Park near Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, England...
, the Smithfield Show and the Royal Bath and West Show
Royal Bath and West Show
The Royal Bath and West is a agricultural show for the West of England. Held every year at its permanent show ground near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, it is one of a number of County shows in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1879 a Royal Commission on the Depressed State of the Agricultural Interest under the chairmanship of the Duke of Richmond
Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond
Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, and 1st Duke of Gordon KG PC , styled Lord Settrington until 1819 and Earl of March between 1819 and 1860, was a British Conservative politician.-Background and education:Born at Richmond House, London, he was the son of Charles...
was appointed. Along with Albert Pell, Read was made an assistant commissioner, and the two men visited the United States and Canada to inquire into the production and export of wheat. Over six months the two assistant commissioners travelled 16000 miles (25,749.4 km).
Later life
Although no longer in parliament, Read continued to represent the interests of farmers through the societies of which he was a leading member. In 1892 he was called as an expert witness before a Board of TradeBoard of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
investigation into corn sales, and in 1894 appeared before the Royal Commission on Agriculture. In 1896 Read retired from farming, and in the following year the landlords and tenant farmers of Norfolk formally presented Read with his portrait at a ceremony at the Norwich Shire Hall to mark their "deep sense... of the value of the services that he had rendered to agriculture".
On retirement, Read moved to London, taking up residence at 91 Kensington Gardens Square. In his latter years he was a supporter of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
, seeking to promote humane methods of slaughtering domestic animals.
Clare Sewell Read died at his London home in August 1905. He was buried in Barton Bendish
Barton Bendish
Barton Bendish is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is east of Downham Market, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies south of the town of Kings Lynn.The nearest railway station is at Downham Market for the Fen Line which runs...
, Norfolk.