John Greenwood Shipman
Encyclopedia
Dr John Greenwood Shipman (1848 – 20 October 1918) was an English barrister
and Liberal Party
politician.
the only son of John Shipman of Northampton
and his wife Ruth (née Sheffield). Ruth Shipman was the aunt of George Sheffield (1839–1892), the Manchester artist. He went to school in Northampton and afterwards at Hurstpierpoint College
. He undertook his further education first at London University where he passed the first LL.B
examination with honours. He then went on to New College, Oxford
and took a second class in the final year of jurisprudence
in 1875, a first class in the Bachelor of Civil Law
examination in 1878 and was Vinerian Law Scholar
in 1878. In 1877 he had obtained an Inns of Court
studentship in civil law
and in 1878 gained a scholarship in common law
given by the Inner Temple
.
In 1906 he married Clara Alice Gent from Northampton
.
to a solicitor
in London but when his articles expired he decided to read for the Bar. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
in 1878 and joined the Midland Circuit. He took his LL.D in 1895.
election for the Liberals at Gravesend
in Kent
at the 1892 general election
. The final meeting of his campaign was the scene of considerable public disorder. He was prevented by the mob from speaking from the platform and after he had left a fight took place between his supporters and those of his Unionist
opponent. Fireworks were thrown and a hosepipe was deployed from the stage. The riot left several people sustaining injuries.
but in May 1900 he was adopted by the Liberals to fight one of the seats at Northampton
, a two-member constituency in the general election of 1900
. Shipman proclaimed himself a pronounced Radical
and a Home Ruler. He also announced he was in favour of continued British supremacy in South Africa
and was a supporter of the Liberal Imperialists, a centrist faction within the Liberal Party in the late Victorian
and Edwardian periods, favouring a more positive attitude towards the development of the British Empire
and Imperialism
.
In Northampton, Shipman should have been running in partnership with Henry Labouchère
who had represented the borough for Liberalism since 1880
. However Labouchère had fallen out with the Northampton Liberal and Radical Association and said he wished to fight the election as an Independent. Labouchère was out of the country at the start of the election so Shipman was obliged to issue his election address separately. In the end Labouchère did stand again as a Liberal and he and Shipman were elected, Shipman’s seat being a gain from the Unionists.
Shipman held his seat at the 1906 general election
despite the intervention this time of Labour
candidates, making it a three-cornered contest. However by 1909 Shipman decided he did not wish to fight any more elections citing reasons of health and he retired from Parliamentary politics at the January 1910 general election. Both Northampton seats were held for the Liberal Party by new candidates.
In 1905 Shipman sponsored a Bill in Parliament, the Local Authorities (Qualification of Women) Bill, to encourage the election of women to local government office and to place directly elected women on education authorities
. The Bill got as far as passing its Second Reading by a majority of 150 votes but was taken no further. Its purpose was to involve women more greatly in many areas of local government activity such as housing the poor, running public lodging houses, managing the female side of “lunatic asylums” (sic), the prevention of cruelty to children, supervision of industrial school
s, the supervision of midwives and baby farms
, of homes for inebriate women, of Police Courts and court waiting rooms and other aspects of public health
. To this end, he led a deputation to Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman
in November 1906. The deputation did not get the Prime Minister’s assurance that the Bill would be supported by the government that Session but he did say the Cabinet
were strongly in support and hoped the Bill could be passed in the next Session. He blamed the disruptive tactics of the Opposition
for not bringing it forward at once.
In 1907, Shipman moved an amendment to the Qualification of Women (County and Borough Councils) Bill to remove the exclusion of women from being elected chairman of a County Council
or as a Mayor
of a borough
. The Bill eventually became law in 1907 and, inter alia, clarified that women ratepayers
were able to be elected to Borough
and County Council
s.
, Northampton on 20 October 1918, aged 70.
in the memory of her late husband. It was visited in 1932 by the then Duke and Duchess of York
the future King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
on their official visit to Northampton.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and 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...
politician.
Family and education
Shipman was born in ManchesterManchester
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...
the only son of John Shipman of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
and his wife Ruth (née Sheffield). Ruth Shipman was the aunt of George Sheffield (1839–1892), the Manchester artist. He went to school in Northampton and afterwards at Hurstpierpoint College
Hurstpierpoint College
Hurstpierpoint College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school for pupils aged 4–18, located just to the north of the village of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex in the lee of the South Downs...
. He undertook his further education first at London University where he passed the first LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
examination with honours. He then went on to New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
and took a second class in the final year of jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
in 1875, a first class in the Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
examination in 1878 and was Vinerian Law Scholar
Vinerian Scholarship
The Vinerian Scholarship is a scholarship given to the University of Oxford student that "gives the best performance in the examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Civil Law." Currently, £2,400 is given to the winner of the scholarship, with an additional £950 awarded to a proxime accessit...
in 1878. In 1877 he had obtained an Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
studentship in civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
and in 1878 gained a scholarship in common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
given by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
In 1906 he married Clara Alice Gent from Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
.
Career
On leaving school, Shipman was articledArticled clerk
An articled clerk, also known as an articling student, is an apprentice in a professional firm in Commonwealth countries. Generally the term arises in the accountancy profession and in the legal profession. The articled clerk signs a contract, known as "articles of clerkship", committing to a...
to a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in London but when his articles expired he decided to read for the Bar. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1878 and joined the Midland Circuit. He took his LL.D in 1895.
Gravesend
Shipman first contested a ParliamentaryBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
election for the Liberals at Gravesend
Gravesend (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesend was a county constituency centred on the town of Gravesend, Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
in 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...
at the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
. The final meeting of his campaign was the scene of considerable public disorder. He was prevented by the mob from speaking from the platform and after he had left a fight took place between his supporters and those of his Unionist
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...
opponent. Fireworks were thrown and a hosepipe was deployed from the stage. The riot left several people sustaining injuries.
Northampton
Shipman did not return to the political fray in 1895United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
but in May 1900 he was adopted by the Liberals to fight one of the seats at Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
, a two-member constituency in the general election of 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. Shipman proclaimed himself a pronounced Radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
and a Home Ruler. He also announced he was in favour of continued British supremacy in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and was a supporter of the Liberal Imperialists, a centrist faction within the Liberal Party in the late Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Edwardian periods, favouring a more positive attitude towards the development of the British Empire
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 Imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
.
In Northampton, Shipman should have been running in partnership with Henry Labouchère
Henry Labouchere
Henry Du Pré Labouchère was an English politician, writer, publisher and theatre owner in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. He married the actress Henrietta Hodson....
who had represented the borough for Liberalism since 1880
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 *...
. However Labouchère had fallen out with the Northampton Liberal and Radical Association and said he wished to fight the election as an Independent. Labouchère was out of the country at the start of the election so Shipman was obliged to issue his election address separately. In the end Labouchère did stand again as a Liberal and he and Shipman were elected, Shipman’s seat being a gain from the Unionists.
Shipman held his seat 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**...
despite the intervention this time of Labour
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...
candidates, making it a three-cornered contest. However by 1909 Shipman decided he did not wish to fight any more elections citing reasons of health and he retired from Parliamentary politics at the January 1910 general election. Both Northampton seats were held for the Liberal Party by new candidates.
Women’s Suffrage interests
Shipman was a supporter of the Women’s Local Government Society and campaigned with them for improved rights for women taking part in local government elections and activities.In 1905 Shipman sponsored a Bill in Parliament, the Local Authorities (Qualification of Women) Bill, to encourage the election of women to local government office and to place directly elected women on education authorities
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
. The Bill got as far as passing its Second Reading by a majority of 150 votes but was taken no further. Its purpose was to involve women more greatly in many areas of local government activity such as housing the poor, running public lodging houses, managing the female side of “lunatic asylums” (sic), the prevention of cruelty to children, supervision of industrial school
Industrial school
In Ireland the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 established industrial schools to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884 there were 5,049 children in such institutions....
s, the supervision of midwives and baby farms
Baby-farming
Baby farming was a term used in late-Victorian Era Britain to mean the taking in of an infant or child for payment; if the infant was young, this usually included wet-nursing . Some baby farmers "adopted" children for lump-sum payments, while others cared for infants for periodic payments...
, of homes for inebriate women, of Police Courts and court waiting rooms and other aspects of public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
. To this end, he led a deputation to Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
in November 1906. The deputation did not get the Prime Minister’s assurance that the Bill would be supported by the government that Session but he did say the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
were strongly in support and hoped the Bill could be passed in the next Session. He blamed the disruptive tactics of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
for not bringing it forward at once.
In 1907, Shipman moved an amendment to the Qualification of Women (County and Borough Councils) Bill to remove the exclusion of women from being elected chairman of a County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
or as a Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
. The Bill eventually became law in 1907 and, inter alia, clarified that women ratepayers
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
were able to be elected to Borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
and County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
s.
Death
Shipman died at his home Templemore, DallingtonDallington, Northamptonshire
Dallington is a former village about northwest of the centre of Northampton, the county town Northamptonshire, England. Dallington is now a suburb of Northampton....
, Northampton on 20 October 1918, aged 70.
John Greenwood Shipman home
In 1930, Shipman’s widow presented their former home in Dallington to the Manfield Hospital, Northampton for use as a convalescent homeSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in the memory of her late husband. It was visited in 1932 by the then Duke and Duchess of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
the future King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
on their official visit to Northampton.