Bertie Kirby
Encyclopedia
Bertie Victor Kirby was a British politician. He was Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Liverpool Everton
from 1935 to 1950.
Kirby inspired the headline "Once Errand Boy in Local Store - Now M P" in the Tewkesbury Register of 16 November 1935 after he had been elected for Labour as M.P. for Everton with a majority of 177. Kirby was described by the newspaper as a "former soldier and policemen" born in Cheltenham
but came to Tewkesbury
as a baby.
The 1891 and 1901 censuses confirm that he was living in Mount Pleasant Road (3 Pansy Cottages; the family was still living in Pansy Cottages during the 1909 Land Tax Survey), Tewkesbury and had been born in Cheltenham
. His father, Henry Kirby, was a 51 year-old gardener, born in Prestbury
, Gloucestershire
and his mother, Fanny, was aged 54 and had been born in Gloucester. Bertie then had two older sisters. He was educated at the Barton Road Schools, Tewkesbury, and, on leaving, became an errand boy for Frisby's shoe shop then located at "The Cross" – the location of a War Memorial, in Tewkesbury.
It was claimed that he moved to a branch in Upton-upon-Severn
but, by the 1911 Census, he had joined the army and was then "Bombardier, Royal Horse Artillery
, on sick" again living with his parents at 78 Marle Hill Parade, Cheltenham.
As a Reservist
in 1914, he is listed as "A. Kirby" on the "Memorial to Those who Volunteered" located in Tewkesbury Abbey
. Subsequently he became a Battery Sergeant Major (49135) and was awarded the D.C.M.
on 22 September 1917. The newspaper reported, "While six ammunition wagons were being unloaded, a sudden and intense fire was opened, and a scene of great confusion ensued; it was very dark, and the drivers were unable to see what to do in their gas masks. He removed his smoke helmet and assisted the officer in charge to restore order and by doing so saved a considerable block in the traffic which would have caused heavy casualties. His coolness and presence of mind under heavy fire set a very fine example at a time when it was most needed."
Kirby's medal record confirms the D.C.M. as well as four more general medals. As he had re-enlisted on 5 November 1914, he was awarded the 1914 Star
.
Despite using the testimony of his sister-in-law, the newspaper erred when it stated that he married in 1917 because the marriage was recorded in March qtr 1916; his bride was Alice E. Richmond of Ashchurch
, whose father H. Richmond worked for Midland Railway
.
After the war, Kirby joined the Liverpool City Police .However, in his obituary it is claimed that "A year before the war broke out he had gone to Liverpool and, soon after the war, became district official of the National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers.
Kirby was first elected to the Liverpool City Council
in 1924, when he won the Everton ward from the Conservatives. In 1939 he was elected an Alderman. His work in Liverpool - other than his tireless efforts in the Labour interest - included the deputy chairmanship of the Liverpool Education Committee (as well as membership of others) and the representation of organized Labour on the Merseyside Hospitals Council, and many other bodies.
In 1935 he won the Everton division of Liverpool from the Conservatives and he held the seat until the division ceased to exist in 1950 after the redistribution of constituencies. The new M.P. wrote a letter of thanks on 20/11/1935 when living at 710 Queens Drive, Knotty Ash
, Liverpool 13. He wrote, "I spent all my young life in Tewkesbury, of which I am quite proud.......".
After his election, he was known as Captain Bertie Kirby (1887 - 1 September 1953) and represented the Everton Constituency
until it was abolished on 23 February 1950. In total, Hansard
records 825 interventions, the first dated 6 December 1935 when, in the Debate on the Address he criticised the means test
ing of the unemployed. His last recorded contribution was on 9 December 1948 when he received a Written Answer concerning the Departmental Claims Branch, Liverpool.
His obituary continues, "In the House of Commons, Kirby was hard working back-bench member
. He was a member of the famous Select Committee on National Expenditure during the war, a member of the Public Accounts Committee after the war, and chairman of the Select Committee on Estimates from 1946 to 1950. Such a member is invaluable in the House, giving disinterested service and seeking none of the limelight. Few men more thoroughly earned the honour which he was given in 1947, when he was created C.B.E.
for public services."
He then fought the newly created West Derby division of Liverpool but was defeated by Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe.
Kirby's death, aged 66, was registered in the September qtr. of 1953 in the Liverpool North District) Vol. 10d, page 301 His obituary appeared in The Times
.
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...
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) for Liverpool Everton
Liverpool Everton (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Everton was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
from 1935 to 1950.
Kirby inspired the headline "Once Errand Boy in Local Store - Now M P" in the Tewkesbury Register of 16 November 1935 after he had been elected for Labour as M.P. for Everton with a majority of 177. Kirby was described by the newspaper as a "former soldier and policemen" born in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
but came to Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
as a baby.
The 1891 and 1901 censuses confirm that he was living in Mount Pleasant Road (3 Pansy Cottages; the family was still living in Pansy Cottages during the 1909 Land Tax Survey), Tewkesbury and had been born in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. His father, Henry Kirby, was a 51 year-old gardener, born in Prestbury
Prestbury
Prestbury may refer to:* Prestbury, Cheshire* Prestbury, Gloucestershire* Prestbury, a subdivision of Aurora, Illinois...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and his mother, Fanny, was aged 54 and had been born in Gloucester. Bertie then had two older sisters. He was educated at the Barton Road Schools, Tewkesbury, and, on leaving, became an errand boy for Frisby's shoe shop then located at "The Cross" – the location of a War Memorial, in Tewkesbury.
It was claimed that he moved to a branch in Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn is a small town and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England, on the River Severn. According to the national census 2001 it had a population of 2,859. Located from Malvern, the bridge at Upton is the only one across the river Severn between Worcester...
but, by the 1911 Census, he had joined the army and was then "Bombardier, Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
, on sick" again living with his parents at 78 Marle Hill Parade, Cheltenham.
As a Reservist
Reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
in 1914, he is listed as "A. Kirby" on the "Memorial to Those who Volunteered" located in Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
. Subsequently he became a Battery Sergeant Major (49135) and was awarded the D.C.M.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
on 22 September 1917. The newspaper reported, "While six ammunition wagons were being unloaded, a sudden and intense fire was opened, and a scene of great confusion ensued; it was very dark, and the drivers were unable to see what to do in their gas masks. He removed his smoke helmet and assisted the officer in charge to restore order and by doing so saved a considerable block in the traffic which would have caused heavy casualties. His coolness and presence of mind under heavy fire set a very fine example at a time when it was most needed."
Kirby's medal record confirms the D.C.M. as well as four more general medals. As he had re-enlisted on 5 November 1914, he was awarded the 1914 Star
1914 Star
The 1914 Star was a British Empire campaign medal for service in World War I.The 1914 Star was approved in 1917, for issue to officers and men of British forces who served in France or Belgium between 5 August and midnight 22/23 November 1914...
.
Despite using the testimony of his sister-in-law, the newspaper erred when it stated that he married in 1917 because the marriage was recorded in March qtr 1916; his bride was Alice E. Richmond of Ashchurch
Ashchurch
Ashchurch is a village and former civil parish in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire, England. The parish was originally called Eastchurch, due to its position east of the parish and town of Tewkesbury, and had a population of 6,064 at the 2001 UK census.The former Ashchurch Parish covered...
, whose father H. Richmond worked for Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
.
After the war, Kirby joined the Liverpool City Police .However, in his obituary it is claimed that "A year before the war broke out he had gone to Liverpool and, soon after the war, became district official of the National Union of Clerks and Administrative Workers.
Kirby was first elected to the Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
in 1924, when he won the Everton ward from the Conservatives. In 1939 he was elected an Alderman. His work in Liverpool - other than his tireless efforts in the Labour interest - included the deputy chairmanship of the Liverpool Education Committee (as well as membership of others) and the representation of organized Labour on the Merseyside Hospitals Council, and many other bodies.
In 1935 he won the Everton division of Liverpool from the Conservatives and he held the seat until the division ceased to exist in 1950 after the redistribution of constituencies. The new M.P. wrote a letter of thanks on 20/11/1935 when living at 710 Queens Drive, Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
, Liverpool 13. He wrote, "I spent all my young life in Tewkesbury, of which I am quite proud.......".
After his election, he was known as Captain Bertie Kirby (1887 - 1 September 1953) and represented the Everton Constituency
Liverpool Everton (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Everton was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
until it was abolished on 23 February 1950. In total, Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
records 825 interventions, the first dated 6 December 1935 when, in the Debate on the Address he criticised the means test
Means test
A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for help from the government.- Canada :In Canada means tests are used for student finance , and "welfare" . They are not generally used for primary education and secondary education which are tax-funded...
ing of the unemployed. His last recorded contribution was on 9 December 1948 when he received a Written Answer concerning the Departmental Claims Branch, Liverpool.
His obituary continues, "In the House of Commons, Kirby was hard working back-bench member
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
. He was a member of the famous Select Committee on National Expenditure during the war, a member of the Public Accounts Committee after the war, and chairman of the Select Committee on Estimates from 1946 to 1950. Such a member is invaluable in the House, giving disinterested service and seeking none of the limelight. Few men more thoroughly earned the honour which he was given in 1947, when he was created C.B.E.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for public services."
He then fought the newly created West Derby division of Liverpool but was defeated by Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe.
Kirby's death, aged 66, was registered in the September qtr. of 1953 in the Liverpool North District) Vol. 10d, page 301 His obituary appeared in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.