James Frederick Hutton
Encyclopedia
James Frederick Hutton was a British
businessman, colonialist
and Conservative
politician.
He was the son of W M Hutton and Elizabeth Chapman, and inherited the family business importing palm oil
from Africa
. Hutton's warehouses were near Piccadilly
, Manchester
He was for some years the President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and was the inaugural President of the Manchester Geographical Society. He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
.
Hutton took a great interest in colonial policy in Africa. In 1876 he was part of a deputation that met with Lord Carnarvon
, the Secretary of State for the Colonies
to protest against a treaty with Portugal
that would have ceded areas along the River Gambia. At the time of the Congo Conference of 1884 he was involved in campaigns against the Portuguese "Pink Map
" and to maintain British control of Sierra Leone
.
In 1885
he was selected as Conservative candidate for the newly-created constituency of Manchester North
. He was elected, beating the Liberal
, Charles Schwann
by 650 votes. He was only a member of parliament
for eight months, however, losing his seat to Schwann in the 1886 general election
. Shortly before losing his seat, he appeared at the Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, promoting the idea of an Anglo-Colonial penny post
age union.
In November 1886 Hutton was approached by William Mackinnon, and asked to help organise the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition
, led by H M Stanley
.
In 1887 Hutton was appointed by the President of the Board of Trade to a committee charged with inquiring into the duties, organisation and arrangements of the Patent Office
. In 1887 he was made a member of the organising committee of the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom, the Colonies and India
. The committee were charged with raising funds to build the Institute as memorial to the Golden Jubilee
of Queen Victoria
. In 1888 he was named as one of the court of directors in the founding charter
of the Imperial British East Africa Company
.
He died in Cairo
, Egypt
in March 1890.
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...
businessman, colonialist
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
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.
He was the son of W M Hutton and Elizabeth Chapman, and inherited the family business importing palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Hutton's warehouses were near Piccadilly
Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
He was for some years the President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and was the inaugural President of the Manchester Geographical Society. He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.
Hutton took a great interest in colonial policy in Africa. In 1876 he was part of a deputation that met with Lord Carnarvon
Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party...
, the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
to protest against a treaty with Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
that would have ceded areas along the River Gambia. At the time of the Congo Conference of 1884 he was involved in campaigns against the Portuguese "Pink Map
Pink Map
The Pink Map was a document representing Portugal's claim of sovereignty over the land between Angola and Mozambique, which today is currently Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.The Pink Map collided with Sir Cecil Rhodes' "Cape to Cairo Red Line"...
" and to maintain British control of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
.
In 1885
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 selected as Conservative candidate for the newly-created constituency of Manchester North
Manchester North (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester North was one of six single-member Parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the existing three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester. It was abolished in 1918.-Boundaries:...
. He was elected, beating the 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...
, Charles Schwann
Sir Charles Swann, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Ernest Swann, 1st Baronet, was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician.He was born as Charles Ernest Schwann, fifth son of J Frederick Schwann of Gloucester Square, London and Henrietta Kell of Birmingham...
by 650 votes. He was only 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,...
for eight months, however, losing his seat to Schwann in the 1886 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:...
. Shortly before losing his seat, he appeared at the Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, promoting the idea of an Anglo-Colonial penny post
Penny Post
The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny.-London Penny Post:In England, the Post Office had a monopoly on the collection and carriage of letters between post towns but there was no delivery system until the London Penny Post was...
age union.
In November 1886 Hutton was approached by William Mackinnon, and asked to help organise the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition
Emin Pasha Relief Expedition
The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition of 1886 to 1889 was one of the last major European expeditions into the interior of Africa in the nineteenth century, ostensibly to the relief of Emin Pasha, General Charles Gordon's besieged governor of Equatoria, threatened by Mahdist forces...
, led by H M Stanley
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
.
In 1887 Hutton was appointed by the President of the Board of Trade to a committee charged with inquiring into the duties, organisation and arrangements of the Patent Office
Patent office
A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
. In 1887 he was made a member of the organising committee of the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom, the Colonies and India
Commonwealth Institute
The Commonwealth Institute was an educational charity connected with the Commonwealth of Nations, and the name of a building in West London formerly owned by the Institute...
. The committee were charged with raising funds to build the Institute as memorial to the Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. In 1888 he was named as one of the court of directors in the founding charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
of the Imperial British East Africa Company
Imperial British East Africa Company
The Imperial British East Africa Company was the administrator of British East Africa, which was the forerunner of the East Africa Protectorate, later Kenya. The IBEAC was a commercial association founded to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British colonial power...
.
He died in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in March 1890.