Stopford Brooke (politician)
Encyclopedia
Stopford William Wentworth Brooke (1859 – 23 April 1938) was a British
politician
. He was a Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1906 to 1910.
, London
, the son of Stopford Brooke, an Irish
clergymen, chaplain to Queen Victoria
and writer, and his wife Emma (née Wentworth-Beaumont). He was educated at Winchester College
and University College, Oxford
graduating in 1881. He was a Unitarian
minister in England between 1883 and 1886 and then went to America where he was minister at the First Church (Unitarian) in Boston, Massachusetts. He married Helen Ellis from Boston in 1903. They had one son and a daughter. His wife died in 1928.
He was elected to the Commons in the 1906 general election
, succeeding the Conservative
MP Walter Guthrie
in the Bow and Bromley
constituency. He left Parliament in the January 1910 general election and was succeeded by the Conservative Alfred du Cros
. He tried to re-enter Parliament at the December 1910 general election as a Liberal candidate at Bassetlaw
in Nottinghamshire
and was defeated by the sitting Unionist
MP William Ellis Hume-Williams by a narrow 215 vote margin.
His son, Somerset Stopford Brooke (a past President of the Oxford University Liberal Club) also stood for Parliament. He was Liberal candidate in Guildford
in Surrey
at the 1929 general election
. He came second to the sitting Conservative Henry Cecil Buckingham, trailing by 4,566 votes. Somerset Stopford Brooke made a second attempt to get into the House of Commons
in 1935
when he stood as a Liberal National
in Shoreditch
. At the time of this election Brooke was described as a member of the stock-exchange.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was a 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...
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) from 1906 to 1910.
Biography
Brooke was born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of Stopford Brooke, an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
clergymen, chaplain to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and writer, and his wife Emma (née Wentworth-Beaumont). He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
graduating in 1881. He was a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
minister in England between 1883 and 1886 and then went to America where he was minister at the First Church (Unitarian) in Boston, Massachusetts. He married Helen Ellis from Boston in 1903. They had one son and a daughter. His wife died in 1928.
He was elected to the Commons in 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**...
, succeeding the 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...
MP Walter Guthrie
Walter Guthrie
Walter Guthrie was a British politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1899 to 1906.-Biography:...
in the Bow and Bromley
Bow and Bromley (UK Parliament constituency)
Bow and Bromley was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Located in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in London, it was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act for the 1885 general election and returned one Member of Parliament until it was abolished by the 1950 general...
constituency. He left Parliament in the January 1910 general election and was succeeded by the Conservative Alfred du Cros
Alfred du Cros
Alfred du Cros was a British politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1910.du Cros was elected to the Commons in the January 1910 general election, succeeding the Liberal MP Stopford Brooke in the Bow and Bromley constituency...
. He tried to re-enter Parliament at the December 1910 general election as a Liberal candidate at Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw (UK Parliament constituency)
Bassetlaw is a parliamentary 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:...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and was defeated by the sitting 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...
MP William Ellis Hume-Williams by a narrow 215 vote margin.
His son, Somerset Stopford Brooke (a past President of the Oxford University Liberal Club) also stood for Parliament. He was Liberal candidate in Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. He came second to the sitting Conservative Henry Cecil Buckingham, trailing by 4,566 votes. Somerset Stopford Brooke made a second attempt to get into the House of Commons
British 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...
in 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
when he stood as a Liberal National
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
in Shoreditch
Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency)
Shoreditch was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Shoreditch district of the East End of London. 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 voting system.The constituency was created for the...
. At the time of this election Brooke was described as a member of the stock-exchange.