Percy Alden
Encyclopedia
Sir Percy Alden was a British
social worker, land reformer and independent-minded politician.
Born in Oxford
, he was the third son of Isaac Alden, a master butcher and Harriet née Kemp.
. In 1884 he was admitted to Balliol College, graduating with a thirds in classical moderations
in 1886 and literae humaniores
in 1888. He subsequently began studies for the Congregational ministry at Mansfield House, Oxford. Here, he became involved in social work, and was appointed in 1891 as the first warden of the Mansfield House settlement in Canning Town
, West Ham
, a post he held until 1901, later serving as honorary warden and vice-president.
, serving as deputy mayor in 1898. He was a supporter, but not a member, of the Independent Labour Party
group that controlled the council West Ham was one of the most deprived areas in London with high unemployment and Alden was the instigator of a petition from the borough council to parliament seeking government action on the problem. He married Dr Margaret Pearse, senior resident physician of the Canning Town Medical Mission Hospital, in 1899 and they had three daughters. He was co-opted onto the London School Board
in 1903.
, a progressive discussion group of Liberals and Socialists. In the following year he was among a group of Circle members who helped form the British Institute of Social Service.
Following an electoral pact between the Labour Representation Committee
and the Liberal Party
, Alden was elected as a "Radical Liberal" MP for Tottenham
at the 1906 general election
. Alden had been a member of both the socialist Fabian Society
and the Liberal Party, and in parliament he frequently voted with the Labour MPs. As an MP, he took a strong interest in civil liberties (pressing for Hindu interpreters in British prisons, for example), international issues and unemployment. His opposition to conscription in 1916, and support for conscientious objectors, brought him into conflict with his Liberal Party colleagues. When the party split into two factions in 1918, Alden joined the anti-coalition Liberals led by H H Asquith. He was the party's candidate in the new seat of Tottenham North
at the 1918 general election
, where he was defeated by a Coalition Conservative.
In April 1919 he joined the Labour Party
, but was unsuccessful as the party's candidate at Luton
at the 1922 general election
. A further general election was held in 1923
, and Alden was elected as Labour MP for Tottenham South
His return to parliament was to be brief, however, as he lost his seat when a further election was held in 1924
.
led by Ramsay McDonald had ended in failure. He instead returned to the Liberals in 1927, attracted by their policies on relieving unemployment. He did not re-enter active politics, devoting himself instead to charitable work. He was chairman of the Save the Children
Fund, administered a number of educational trusts for the underprivileged and worked with groups for the relief of refugees.
Alden wrote a number of books on the subject of social reform, including The Unemployed - A Social Question, The Unemployable and Democratic England. Among other proposals, he was keen to see a rebalancing of England's population towards the land and away from the cities. He supported the garden city movement and land settlement, as well as putting a case for farm colonies to train the unemployed. He was knighted
in 1933.
Alden died during the Second World War when a German flying bomb
exploded in Tottenham Court Road
in June 1944. A Percy Alden Scholarship, to enable a student to attend university followed by a year's training in social work, was established in his memory.
A memorial to him was erected at Balliol College, on the east wall of the Chapel passage.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
social worker, land reformer and independent-minded politician.
Born in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, he was the third son of Isaac Alden, a master butcher and Harriet née Kemp.
Education
At the age of 15, while working as a messenger for the local examinations board, he met the philosopher T. H. Green. Green encouraged him to enter the University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. In 1884 he was admitted to Balliol College, graduating with a thirds in classical moderations
Honour Moderations
Honour Moderations are a first set of examinations at Oxford University in England during the first part of the degree course for some courses ....
in 1886 and literae humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
in 1888. He subsequently began studies for the Congregational ministry at Mansfield House, Oxford. Here, he became involved in social work, and was appointed in 1891 as the first warden of the Mansfield House settlement in Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
, West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
, a post he held until 1901, later serving as honorary warden and vice-president.
Municipal politics
From 1892–1901 he was a member of the West Ham Borough CouncilCounty Borough of West Ham
West Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London...
, serving as deputy mayor in 1898. He was a supporter, but not a member, of the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
group that controlled the council West Ham was one of the most deprived areas in London with high unemployment and Alden was the instigator of a petition from the borough council to parliament seeking government action on the problem. He married Dr Margaret Pearse, senior resident physician of the Canning Town Medical Mission Hospital, in 1899 and they had three daughters. He was co-opted onto the London School Board
London School Board
The School Board for London was an institution of local government and the first directly elected body covering the whole of London....
in 1903.
Parliamentary politics
Following his resignation from the Mansfield House Settlement, Alden remained involved in radical politics. In 1902 he became secretary of the National Unemployed Committee, and in 1903 joined The Rainbow CircleThe Rainbow Circle
The Rainbow Circle was a political group consisting of Liberals, Fabians and socialists who first began to meet in 1893 in London to consider if it was possible to resolve the relationship between the various progressive forces they represented, in order to advance the cause of political,...
, a progressive discussion group of Liberals and Socialists. In the following year he was among a group of Circle members who helped form the British Institute of Social Service.
Following an electoral pact between the Labour Representation Committee
Labour Representation Committee
Labour Representation Committee may refer to:* Labour Representation Committee, the original name of the British Labour Party* Labour Representation Committee , a 21st century pressure group within the British Labour Party...
and the 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...
, Alden was elected as a "Radical Liberal" MP for Tottenham
Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Tottenham is a borough 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.- Boundaries :...
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**...
. Alden had been a member of both the socialist Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
and the Liberal Party, and in parliament he frequently voted with the Labour MPs. As an MP, he took a strong interest in civil liberties (pressing for Hindu interpreters in British prisons, for example), international issues and unemployment. His opposition to conscription in 1916, and support for conscientious objectors, brought him into conflict with his Liberal Party colleagues. When the party split into two factions in 1918, Alden joined the anti-coalition Liberals led by H H Asquith. He was the party's candidate in the new seat of Tottenham North
Tottenham North (UK Parliament constituency)
Tottenham North was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
, where he was defeated by a Coalition Conservative.
In April 1919 he joined the 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...
, but was unsuccessful as the party's candidate at Luton
Luton (UK Parliament constituency)
Luton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. 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....
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...
. A further general election was held in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and Alden was elected as Labour MP for Tottenham South
Tottenham South (UK Parliament constituency)
Tottenham South was a parliamentary constituency in Tottenham, in North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
His return to parliament was to be brief, however, as he lost his seat when a further election was held in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
.
Life outside parliament
Alden became disillusioned with the Labour Party when the First Labour GovernmentFirst Labour Government
The First Labour Government of the United Kingdom lasted from January to November 1924. The Labour Party, under James Ramsay MacDonald, had failed to win the general election of December 1923, with 191 seats, although the combined Opposition tally exceeded that of the Conservative government...
led by Ramsay McDonald had ended in failure. He instead returned to the Liberals in 1927, attracted by their policies on relieving unemployment. He did not re-enter active politics, devoting himself instead to charitable work. He was chairman of the Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
Fund, administered a number of educational trusts for the underprivileged and worked with groups for the relief of refugees.
Alden wrote a number of books on the subject of social reform, including The Unemployed - A Social Question, The Unemployable and Democratic England. Among other proposals, he was keen to see a rebalancing of England's population towards the land and away from the cities. He supported the garden city movement and land settlement, as well as putting a case for farm colonies to train the unemployed. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1933.
Alden died during the Second World War when a German flying bomb
Flying bomb
A flying bomb is a manned or unmanned aerial vehicle or aircraft carrying a large explosive warhead, a precursor to contemporary cruise missiles...
exploded in Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
in June 1944. A Percy Alden Scholarship, to enable a student to attend university followed by a year's training in social work, was established in his memory.
A memorial to him was erected at Balliol College, on the east wall of the Chapel passage.