John James Mellor
Encyclopedia
Colonel John James Mellor (12 August 1830 - 12 January 1916) was a British
industrialist and Conservative
politician.
He was born in Oldham
, Lancashire
, and was educated privately. He entered business as a cotton manufacturer and became chairman of J & J J Mellor Limited of Bury
and Brook Mills Limited of Heywood
. He was also involved in railway administration, and was a director of the Metropolitan Railway
and the South Eastern Railway
.
For twenty-seven years he held a commission in the Volunteer Force
, retiring as honorary colonel of the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers
.
In 1892
he stood as Conservative candidate for the Radcliffe cum Farnworth constituency
, but failed to be elected. Robert Leake
, the sitting Liberal
MP stood down at the next general election in 1895
. Mellor was again selected as Conservative candidate, and was elected as member of parliament
, benefitting from both a large swing to the Conservatives and the fact that Leake had a large personal vote.
Mellor was only in the Commons for five years, deciding not to stand again. At the 1900 general election
Radcliffe cum Farnworth was regained by the Liberals.
Apart from his business and political activities, Mellor took an interest in science and engineering, and was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
for nearly sixty years.
He married Jennette Clegg in 1865, and they lived at The Woodland, Whitefield
near Manchester.
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...
industrialist 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 born in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and was educated privately. He entered business as a cotton manufacturer and became chairman of J & J J Mellor Limited of Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Brook Mills Limited of Heywood
Heywood, Greater Manchester
Heywood is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the...
. He was also involved in railway administration, and was a director of the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
.
For twenty-seven years he held a commission in the Volunteer Force
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
, retiring as honorary colonel of the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
.
In 1892
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...
he stood as Conservative candidate for the Radcliffe cum Farnworth constituency
Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Radcliffe and Farnworth in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :This area had...
, but failed to be elected. Robert Leake
Robert Leake
Robert Leake was a British Liberal politician.Leake was the eldest son of Robert Leake of Manchester and Mary Lockett of Salford, Lancashire...
, the sitting 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...
MP stood down at the next general election in 1895
United 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...
. Mellor was again selected as Conservative candidate, and was elected as 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,...
, benefitting from both a large swing to the Conservatives and the fact that Leake had a large personal vote.
Mellor was only in the Commons for five years, deciding not to stand again. At the 1900 general election
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**...
Radcliffe cum Farnworth was regained by the Liberals.
Apart from his business and political activities, Mellor took an interest in science and engineering, and was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
for nearly sixty years.
He married Jennette Clegg in 1865, and they lived at The Woodland, Whitefield
Whitefield, Greater Manchester
Whitefield is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the south bank of the River Irwell, south-southeast of Bury, and to the north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
near Manchester.