Jacob Henry Tillett
Encyclopedia
Jacob Henry Tillett was an English Liberal Party
politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1870 and 1885.
Tillet was born in Norwich, the son of Jacob Tillett and his wife Elizabeth Towler. He became a solicitor in 1839 and was the political leader of non-conformity and liberalism in Norwich. He was a lay preacher and trustee of New Catton Sunday School. In 1845 he was one of the founders of Norfolk News with Jeremiah Colman, John Copeman, Thomas Jarrold and Joseph Massingham. He became guardian of Massingham's son Henry William Massingham
. Tillett was acquainted with leading liberals including Richard Cobden
, Bright and John Morley. Tillet was clerk to the Commissioners of Income Tax and an alderman of Norwich. He campaigned against corruption, setting up a vigilance committee. As mayor in 1859 he exposed attempts to bribe a councillor to elect aldermen. A Conservative councillor noted for that for the first time an election was held in Norwich without drunkenness corruption and bribery. However Tillett himself was embarrassed by electoral difficulties when he stood for parliament.
In July 1870, Tillett was elected at a by-election as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Norwich
,
but his election was declared void on petition
and a new election was held.
He contested the seat unsuccessfully at the 1874 general election
,
but won the seat again at a by-election March 1875,
and again his election was declared void. This time it was found that party agents had given jobs to voters to secure their votes. The writ for the constituency was suspended and a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate allegations of corruption. He was Mayor of Norwich again in 1875 and was chairman of the Norwich School Board from 1877 to 1880. He was elected successfully for Norwich at the 1880 general election
, and held the seat until the 1885 general election
, which he did not contest. He stood again in 1886
, but was not elected.
Tillett lived at Carrow Abbey, and died at the age of 73.
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 sat in the House of Commons variously between 1870 and 1885.
Tillet was born in Norwich, the son of Jacob Tillett and his wife Elizabeth Towler. He became a solicitor in 1839 and was the political leader of non-conformity and liberalism in Norwich. He was a lay preacher and trustee of New Catton Sunday School. In 1845 he was one of the founders of Norfolk News with Jeremiah Colman, John Copeman, Thomas Jarrold and Joseph Massingham. He became guardian of Massingham's son Henry William Massingham
Henry William Massingham
Henry William Massingham was an English journalist, editor of The Nation from 1907 to 1923. In his time it was considered the leading British Radical weekly.-Life:...
. Tillett was acquainted with leading liberals including Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
, Bright and John Morley. Tillet was clerk to the Commissioners of Income Tax and an alderman of Norwich. He campaigned against corruption, setting up a vigilance committee. As mayor in 1859 he exposed attempts to bribe a councillor to elect aldermen. A Conservative councillor noted for that for the first time an election was held in Norwich without drunkenness corruption and bribery. However Tillett himself was embarrassed by electoral difficulties when he stood for parliament.
In July 1870, Tillett was elected at a by-election 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 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...
,
but his election was declared void on petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
and a new election was held.
He contested the seat unsuccessfully at the 1874 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-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 *...
,
but won the seat again at a by-election March 1875,
and again his election was declared void. This time it was found that party agents had given jobs to voters to secure their votes. The writ for the constituency was suspended and a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate allegations of corruption. He was Mayor of Norwich again in 1875 and was chairman of the Norwich School Board from 1877 to 1880. He was elected successfully for Norwich 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 *...
, and held the seat until 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:...
, which he did not contest. He stood again 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**...
, but was not elected.
Tillett lived at Carrow Abbey, and died at the age of 73.