Alfred Ernest Newbould
Encyclopedia
Alfred Ernest Newbould was a British cinematographer and Liberal
politician.
in Staffordshire
, the son of J J Newbould from the nearby village of Tatenhill
. He was educated at Burton Grammar School. He was married twice, first in 1909 to Grace Lucy Kirby. They were divorced in November 1929. Just a few days after his divorce was made absolute, Newbould married Dorothy Irene Pugh by whom he already had one son, born early in 1929.
as a trooper in the 1st Royal Dragoons and fought in the Second Boer War
, but his main profession was in the developing entertainment industry, the cinema. He was a director of Provincial Cinematograph Theatres and worked for Gaumont British
as a publicist. He was also a Chairman and Director of Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd; a director of London Film Company Ltd and director of Fenning’s Film Service Ltd. He was sometime Chairman and later President of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association
of Great Britain and Ireland, Chairman of the Cinematograph Trade Council and a member of the Entertainment Industry Committee. He was said to act as the Cinema Trades unofficial representative in the House of Commons.
in the east London constituency of Leyton West
. As an Independent Liberal and supporter of H H Asquith he was not the recipient of the coalition ‘coupon’ which went instead to his Coalition Conservative
opponent, Harry Wrightson
. In a straight fight between Coalition Conservative and Liberal candidates, Wrightson emerged the winner with a healthy majority of 5,668 votes. Within days of the declaration of poll however, Wrightson contracted influenza
, which deteriorated to pneumonia
, and he died early in 1919, aged 44, six days before the new Parliament met and so was never able to take his seat.
and Newbould was again chosen to stand for the Liberals. His opponent was another Coalition Conservative, James Francis Mason. Once again there was no Labour candidate
. In the by-election Newbould’s main campaign points were the abolition of conscription and a crackdown on profiteering the first policy was said to appeal to men and the second to women. Unfortunately for part of the contest he was confined to bed with a bad cold and his wife was engaged as principal canvasser on his behalf On a turnout of 42.5%, (down from the general election turnout of 49.9%) Newbould won what was seen as an important victory for the Asquithian Liberals improving his share of the vote from 32.6% at the general election to 57.3% in the by-election. According to psephologist John Ramsden, this amounted to a swing of 24.8% and was statistically one of the worst by-election reverses of the 1918-1922 government.
. He co-hosted a function with John Wallace
the Coalition Liberal MP for Dunfermline Burghs
in June 1921 attended by about 40 MPs from both sides of the Liberal divide with the aim of stimulating the process of reunion. It was not a gathering which had the approval or endorsement of either the Independent or Coalition Liberal headquarters but an opportunity for individuals from both wings of the party to re-affirm their beliefs in Liberalism
as a creed and to make public statements in support of traditional Liberal policies such as Free Trade
, Ireland and the economy. However a few weeks later this particular movement towards reconciliation within the Liberal family foundered, mainly as a result of the Independent Liberals’ fear that their approaches would be viewed as a willingness to become formally associated with Lloyd George
and their determination to let it be known that they could not contemplate the possibility that Lloyd George might one day lead the party again.
to Conservative candidate James Cassels
in a three-cornered contest, with Labour candidate Alfred Smith (later MP for Sunderland from 1929–31) also entering the fray. He tried to win it back at the next opportunity in 1923
again facing a three-cornered contest with Cassels and Smith and came agonisingly close to regaining the seat, Cassels holding on by a majority of 64 votes (or 0.2% of the poll). Newbould fought Leyton West again in 1924
but this time came third in the poll behind the victorious Cassels and Smith in second place. He did not stand for Parliament again.
, to look into the organisation and health of the party in London constituencies.
In 1928 he stood unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the Hackney North constituency at the London County Council
elections.
-by-Sea in West Sussex
, where he had his home, aged 78 years on 25 April 1952.
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
Newbould was born in Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, the son of J J Newbould from the nearby village of Tatenhill
Tatenhill
Tatenhill is an ancient village and a civil parish located in a deep valley, between two hills, which gradually descend from the eastern border of Needwood Forest, three and a half miles west-southwest of Burton upon Trent....
. He was educated at Burton Grammar School. He was married twice, first in 1909 to Grace Lucy Kirby. They were divorced in November 1929. Just a few days after his divorce was made absolute, Newbould married Dorothy Irene Pugh by whom he already had one son, born early in 1929.
Career
Newbould originally joined the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a trooper in the 1st Royal Dragoons and fought in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, but his main profession was in the developing entertainment industry, the cinema. He was a director of Provincial Cinematograph Theatres and worked for Gaumont British
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
as a publicist. He was also a Chairman and Director of Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd; a director of London Film Company Ltd and director of Fenning’s Film Service Ltd. He was sometime Chairman and later President of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association
Cinema Exhibitors' Association
The Cinema Exhibitors' Association is the national trade association for cinema operators in the United Kingdom...
of Great Britain and Ireland, Chairman of the Cinematograph Trade Council and a member of the Entertainment Industry Committee. He was said to act as the Cinema Trades unofficial representative in the House of Commons.
Leyton West, 1918
Newbould first stood for Parliament at the 1918 general electionUnited 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...
in the east London constituency of Leyton West
Leyton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton West was a parliamentary constituency in the Municipal Borough of Leyton, then part of Essex but now in Greater 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 system.-History:The constituency...
. As an Independent Liberal and supporter of H H Asquith he was not the recipient of the coalition ‘coupon’ which went instead to his Coalition 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...
opponent, Harry Wrightson
Harry Wrightson
Harry Wrightson was a British Conservative politician. He was elected Member of Parliament for Leyton West in 1918 General Election, but died before Parliament met....
. In a straight fight between Coalition Conservative and Liberal candidates, Wrightson emerged the winner with a healthy majority of 5,668 votes. Within days of the declaration of poll however, Wrightson contracted influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, which deteriorated to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and he died early in 1919, aged 44, six days before the new Parliament met and so was never able to take his seat.
Leyton West by-election
Wrighton’s death necessitated a by-electionLeyton West by-election, 1919
The Leyton West by-election, 1919 was a parliamentary by-election held on 1 March 1919 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leyton West, in the Urban District of Leyton, Essex...
and Newbould was again chosen to stand for the Liberals. His opponent was another Coalition Conservative, James Francis Mason. Once again there was no Labour candidate
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...
. In the by-election Newbould’s main campaign points were the abolition of conscription and a crackdown on profiteering the first policy was said to appeal to men and the second to women. Unfortunately for part of the contest he was confined to bed with a bad cold and his wife was engaged as principal canvasser on his behalf On a turnout of 42.5%, (down from the general election turnout of 49.9%) Newbould won what was seen as an important victory for the Asquithian Liberals improving his share of the vote from 32.6% at the general election to 57.3% in the by-election. According to psephologist John Ramsden, this amounted to a swing of 24.8% and was statistically one of the worst by-election reverses of the 1918-1922 government.
Liberal Reunion
Newbould was an advocate of Liberal reunion in the early 1920s, before the fall of the Lloyd George coalitionCoalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
. He co-hosted a function with John Wallace
John Wallace (Scottish politician)
Sir John Wallace was a Scottish Liberal Party and National Liberal Party politician.He was elected at the 1918 general election as Coalition Liberal Member of Parliament for Dunfermline Burghs...
the Coalition Liberal MP for Dunfermline Burghs
Dunfermline Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Dunfermline Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system....
in June 1921 attended by about 40 MPs from both sides of the Liberal divide with the aim of stimulating the process of reunion. It was not a gathering which had the approval or endorsement of either the Independent or Coalition Liberal headquarters but an opportunity for individuals from both wings of the party to re-affirm their beliefs in Liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
as a creed and to make public statements in support of traditional Liberal policies such as Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, Ireland and the economy. However a few weeks later this particular movement towards reconciliation within the Liberal family foundered, mainly as a result of the Independent Liberals’ fear that their approaches would be viewed as a willingness to become formally associated with Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and their determination to let it be known that they could not contemplate the possibility that Lloyd George might one day lead the party again.
Other Parliamentary contests
Newbould lost his seat at Leyton West in 1922United 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...
to Conservative candidate James Cassels
James Cassels (politician)
Sir James Dale Cassels was a British judge, journalist and Conservative politician.He was the only son of Robert Cassels, assistant clerk at the Bow Street Magistrates' Court...
in a three-cornered contest, with Labour candidate Alfred Smith (later MP for Sunderland from 1929–31) also entering the fray. He tried to win it back at the next opportunity in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
again facing a three-cornered contest with Cassels and Smith and came agonisingly close to regaining the seat, Cassels holding on by a majority of 64 votes (or 0.2% of the poll). Newbould fought Leyton West again in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
but this time came third in the poll behind the victorious Cassels and Smith in second place. He did not stand for Parliament again.
Other Liberal activity
In 1927 he was nominated by the London Liberal Federation to sit on a committee of the Liberal Party under the chairmanship of Lord BuxtonSydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton
Sydney Charles Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton GCMG, PC was a British Liberal politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Background and education:...
, to look into the organisation and health of the party in London constituencies.
In 1928 he stood unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the Hackney North constituency at 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...
elections.
Death
Newbould died at FerringFerring
Ferring is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is part of the built-up area of Worthing and is located on the A259 road west of the town. The parish has a land area of 430.6 hectares...
-by-Sea in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, where he had his home, aged 78 years on 25 April 1952.