Joel Herbert Seaverns
Encyclopedia
Joel Herbert Seaverns was an American
businessman who spent much of his life in the United Kingdom
where he was a Liberal Party
Member of Parliament
(MP).
, Massachusetts
. Seaverns graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1881.
in 1884 to run the company's office at Eastcheap
in the City of London
. He took up residence in the south London suburb of Upper Norwood
, later moving to Westminster
and Kemsing, Kent
. He was appointed a magistrate
for the County of London
and was a founding member of the County of London Territorial Force
Association, and the joint committee of the London National Reserve. He held the office of vice-president of the National Association of Shop Assistants.
, Maine
, 30 April 1892. Their only son, Lieutenant Joel Harrison Seaverns of the 1/1st London Regiment
, was killed in action during the First World War in May 1915. They adopted James Morgan Fowler, the orphaned son of James Fowler of Adelaide
, South Australia
.
MP, Sir Robert Mowbray
. By the time the election was called Mowbray had decided to retire, and his Conservative opponent was instead Davison Dalziel. Seaverns won the seat by the small majority of 286 votes, becoming the first American born graduate of Harvard University to hold a seat in the House of Commons. In July 1909 his health declined, and he went to Switzerland
for a course of treatment. Although his health improved, he was absent from the country prior to the January 1910 general election. He again faced Davison Dalziel, who defeated him by a margin of 1,038 votes. He attempted to regain the seat when a further election was held in December 1910 but Dalziel held the seat by the slightly larger majority of 1,068 votes
He made an unsuccessful attempt to re-enter parliament at the 1922 general election
when he stood at Gainsborough
.
of septicaemia in November 1923 after a short illness and was cremated at Golders Green
.
Under the terms of his will, a charitable trust was established to provide for "the education, care, maintenance, support or benefit of such young people of any class of society whether infants or adults and being either poor orphans or the children of poor people as the trustees may from time to time select".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman who spent much of his life in the United Kingdom
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...
where he was a Liberal Party
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...
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).
Early life
He was the only son of Dr Joel Seaverns and Jane née Swain of BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Seaverns graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1881.
Move to England
He became a partner in partner in the firm of Messrs Henry W Peabody & Co, foreign and colonial merchants. He moved to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1884 to run the company's office at Eastcheap
Eastcheap
Eastcheap is a street in the City of London. Its name derives from cheap, market, with the prefix "East" distinguishing it from the other former City of London market of Westcheap . In medieval times Eastcheap was the City's main meat market, with butchers' stalls lining both sides of the street...
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 took up residence in the south London suburb of Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
, later moving to Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
and Kemsing, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He was appointed a magistrate
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
and was a founding member of the County of London Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
Association, and the joint committee of the London National Reserve. He held the office of vice-president of the National Association of Shop Assistants.
Family
Seaverns married Helen Gertrude Brown, daughter of artist Harrison Bird Brown in PortlandPortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, 30 April 1892. Their only son, Lieutenant Joel Harrison Seaverns of the 1/1st London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
, was killed in action during the First World War in May 1915. They adopted James Morgan Fowler, the orphaned son of James Fowler of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Politics
In October 1902 Seaverns was unanimously adopted as a prospective parliamentary candidate by Brixton Liberal Association in opposition to the sitting ConservativeConservative 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...
MP, Sir Robert Mowbray
Sir Robert Mowbray, 2nd Baronet
Sir Robert Gray Cornish Mowbray, 2nd Baronet, DL , was a British Conservative politician.Mowbray was the son of Sir John Mowbray, 1st Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Grey . He was returned to Parliament for Prestwich at the 1886 general election, and held the seat until his defeat at the 1895...
. By the time the election was called Mowbray had decided to retire, and his Conservative opponent was instead Davison Dalziel. Seaverns won the seat by the small majority of 286 votes, becoming the first American born graduate of Harvard University to hold a seat in the House of Commons. In July 1909 his health declined, and he went to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for a course of treatment. Although his health improved, he was absent from the country prior to the January 1910 general election. He again faced Davison Dalziel, who defeated him by a margin of 1,038 votes. He attempted to regain the seat when a further election was held in December 1910 but Dalziel held the seat by the slightly larger majority of 1,068 votes
He made an unsuccessful attempt to re-enter parliament at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
when he stood at Gainsborough
Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Gainsborough is a county 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....
.
Death
He died at BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
of septicaemia in November 1923 after a short illness and was cremated at Golders Green
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
.
Under the terms of his will, a charitable trust was established to provide for "the education, care, maintenance, support or benefit of such young people of any class of society whether infants or adults and being either poor orphans or the children of poor people as the trustees may from time to time select".