John Battley
Encyclopedia
John Rose Battley, JP
(26 November 1880 – 1 November 1952) was a British
printer, company director and Labour Party
politician. He served on the London County Council
and was Member of Parliament
for Clapham
for a single five-year term.
beliefs and membership of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
bade him to declare his conscientious objection
; he was granted exemption from military service
conditional upon working as a market gardener.
and in 1934 he was one of the Labour candidates for Wandsworth Borough Council
in the Clapham North ward; he lost narrowly. He then fought the Clapham division in the 1937 London County Council
election; while unsuccessful then, he was elected there by 57 votes in a byelection in May 1938. He was made a Justice of the Peace
for the County of London in 1940.
, Battley won the Clapham
Parliamentary seat (which had the same boundaries as his LCC division). He was a Parliamentary supporter of temperance movement
, and opposed a government amendment to allow restaurants run by local authorities to sell alcoholic liquor. He also opposed continuation of national service
.
, and died two years later after a long illness.
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...
(26 November 1880 – 1 November 1952) was a British
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...
printer, company director and Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. He served on 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...
and was 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 Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
for a single five-year term.
Early life
Attending only the Basnett Road Elementary School, leaving aged 13, Battley became a printer's apprentice and later set up his own firm with his brother George. He was Governing Director of Battley Brothers Ltd. During the First World War, Battley's BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
beliefs and membership of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
bade him to declare his conscientious objection
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
; he was granted exemption from military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
conditional upon working as a market gardener.
Municipal contribution
He was also a member of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and in 1934 he was one of the Labour candidates for Wandsworth Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth
The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth...
in the Clapham North ward; he lost narrowly. He then fought the Clapham division in the 1937 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...
election; while unsuccessful then, he was elected there by 57 votes in a byelection in May 1938. He was made a Justice of the Peace
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 in 1940.
Parliament
At the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, Battley won the Clapham
Clapham (UK Parliament constituency)
Clapham was a borough constituency in South London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
Parliamentary seat (which had the same boundaries as his LCC division). He was a Parliamentary supporter of temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, and opposed a government amendment to allow restaurants run by local authorities to sell alcoholic liquor. He also opposed continuation of national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
.
Retirement
Although he had only been elected three years previously, Battley announced in June 1948 that he would stand down to make way for a younger man or woman. He therefore did not contest the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, and died two years later after a long illness.