George Alexander Hardy
Encyclopedia
George Alexander Hardy was an English businessman and Liberal Party
politician who served for many years as a councillor in South London
, and briefly as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Stowmarket division
of Suffolk
.
Hardy was born in the Islington
district of North London, and went into business in the City of London
. He was a member of the Greenwich Vestry, and later served as a councillor on Camberwell Borough Council. In the March 1901 elections for the London County Council
, Hardy was elected as a Progressive Party
councillor for the Dulwich division of Camberwell
. He was re-elected in 1904, but at the 1907 elections, the Municipal Reform Party
made sweeping gains and Hardy lost his seat on the council.
He was elected at the 1906 general election
as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Stowmarket division
of Suffolk
. At that time he was a deacon of the Camberwell Green
Congregational Church
, president of the south-east London Free Church Council, chairman of the Dulwich
Society of Public Morality and a member of the London Missionary Society
.
The Times
reported in January 1910 that although he was "a good worker and a good speaker", Hardy was likely to likely to lose the seat at the January 1910 election to his unionist opponent Frank Goldsmith
, who had been working hard to cultivate the support of agricultural workers. Hardy's majority in 1906 had been only 2.2% of the votes, and Goldsmith took the seat on a swing
of 4.3%.
After his defeat, Hardy did not stand again in Stowmarket, but on 15 November 1910 he was adopted as one of the two Liberal candidates for the borough of Bath
, a marginal constituency
where the Liberals had lost both of the two seats in January 1910. At the general election, in December 1910, the Conservatives held both seats.
He stood for the London County Council
again at the 1913 elections, this time in Stepney, but did not win a seat. However he was nominated by the Progressive Party as an alderman
, and at the new Council's first meeting on 13 March 1913, he was elected to serve as an alderman until 1919. He was elected again as an alderman in 1919, but died the following year at his home on Champion Hill
in East Dulwich
, aged 68.
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 who served for many years as a councillor in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, and briefly as a 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,...
(MP) for the Stowmarket division
Stowmarket (UK Parliament constituency)
Stowmarket was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
Hardy was born in the Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
district of North London, and went into business in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He was a member of the Greenwich Vestry, and later served as a councillor on Camberwell Borough Council. In the March 1901 elections for the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
, Hardy was elected as a Progressive Party
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
councillor for the Dulwich division of Camberwell
Dulwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Dulwich was a borough constituency in the Dulwich area of South London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. He was re-elected in 1904, but at the 1907 elections, the Municipal Reform Party
Municipal Reform Party
The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 1945.-Formation:...
made sweeping gains and Hardy lost his seat on the council.
He was elected at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
as the 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,...
(MP) for Stowmarket division
Stowmarket (UK Parliament constituency)
Stowmarket was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. At that time he was a deacon of the Camberwell Green
Camberwell Green
Camberwell Green is a small area of common land in Camberwell, South London. It lies at the intersection of Camberwell Road and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. At the North-East of the green is Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the North West is a home for the elderly...
Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, president of the south-east London Free Church Council, chairman of the Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
Society of Public Morality and a member of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported in January 1910 that although he was "a good worker and a good speaker", Hardy was likely to likely to lose the seat at the January 1910 election to his unionist opponent Frank Goldsmith
Frank Goldsmith
Francis Benedict Hyam Goldsmith was a British Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1918...
, who had been working hard to cultivate the support of agricultural workers. Hardy's majority in 1906 had been only 2.2% of the votes, and Goldsmith took the seat on a swing
Swing (politics)
An electoral swing analysis shows the extent of change in voter support from one election to another. It is an indicator of voter support for individual candidates or political parties, or voter preference between two or more candidates or parties...
of 4.3%.
After his defeat, Hardy did not stand again in Stowmarket, but on 15 November 1910 he was adopted as one of the two Liberal candidates for the borough of Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
, a marginal constituency
Marginal seat
A marginal seat, or swing seat, is a constituency held with a particularly small majority in a legislative election, generally conducted under a single-winner voting system. In Canada they may be known as target ridings. The opposite is a safe seat....
where the Liberals had lost both of the two seats in January 1910. At the general election, in December 1910, the Conservatives held both seats.
He stood for the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
again at the 1913 elections, this time in Stepney, but did not win a seat. However he was nominated by the Progressive Party as 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 at the new Council's first meeting on 13 March 1913, he was elected to serve as an alderman until 1919. He was elected again as an alderman in 1919, but died the following year at his home on Champion Hill
Champion Hill
Champion Hill is a football stadium on the cusp of East Dulwich and Camberwell in South London, in the London Borough of Southwark.It is the home ground of Dulwich Hamlet, and Fisher FC currently share the ground. 'The Hill' was formerly one of the largest amateur grounds in England, with...
in East Dulwich
East Dulwich
East Dulwich is a district of South London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern one third of Dulwich, with the Dulwich Wood area, Dulwich Village and West Dulwich to its South and West making up the remaining two thirds...
, aged 68.