Charles Foxcroft
Encyclopedia
Captain Charles Talbot Foxcroft (1868 – 11 February 1929) was a British Conservative Party
politician. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bath
from 1918 to 1923, and from 1924 until his death.
at the 1906 general election
, when he was an unsucccessful candidate in the Frome division
of Somerset
. Frome was a consistently Liberals
seat, although the Liberal majorities were slim, and Foxcroft lost again in Frome at the elections in January 1910 and December 1910.
In September 1918, Lord Alexander Thynne
, the Conservative MP for Bath, was killed in action in World War I
. Foxcroft was selected as the Conservative candidate in the resulting by-election
, and was elected unopposed on 15 October. Parliament was dissolved only five weeks later, on 21 November, and at the general election in December
the Bath constituency was reduced from two seats in the House of Commons to one.
However the parties in the Liberal-Conservative Coalition Government agreed an electoral pact, and no Liberal candidate stood in Bath. Foxcroft was returned as a "Coalition Conservative", with a majority of nearly 50% over his sole opponent, a Labour Party
candidate. He was re-elected in a three-way contest in 1922
, but at the 1923 general election
he faced only one opponent, the Liberal barrister Frank Raffety
. Raffety took the seat, but at that parliament was dissolved less than a year later. At the general election in October 1924
, Foxcroft retook the seat with 56% of the votes in a 3-way contest.
He died in office in February 1929, aged 60.
in Somerset
. He inherited the estate on the death of his father.
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 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 Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
from 1918 to 1923, and from 1924 until his death.
Political career
Foxcroft first stood for election to ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
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**...
, when he was an unsucccessful candidate in the Frome division
Frome (UK Parliament constituency)
Frome was a constituency centred on the town of Frome in Somerset. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832, until it was abolished for the 1950 general election...
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. Frome was a consistently Liberals
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...
seat, although the Liberal majorities were slim, and Foxcroft lost again in Frome at the elections in January 1910 and December 1910.
In September 1918, Lord Alexander Thynne
Lord Alexander Thynne
Lord Alexander George Boteville Thynne DSO , was a British soldier and Conservative politician.Thynne was the third and youngest son of John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath, and his wife Frances Isabella Catherine...
, the Conservative MP for Bath, was killed in action in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Foxcroft was selected as the Conservative candidate in the resulting by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, and was elected unopposed on 15 October. Parliament was dissolved only five weeks later, on 21 November, and at the general election in December
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...
the Bath constituency was reduced from two seats in the House of Commons to one.
However the parties in the Liberal-Conservative Coalition Government agreed an electoral pact, and no Liberal candidate stood in Bath. Foxcroft was returned as a "Coalition Conservative", with a majority of nearly 50% over his sole opponent, a 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...
candidate. He was re-elected in a three-way contest in 1922
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...
, but at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
he faced only one opponent, the Liberal barrister Frank Raffety
Frank Walter Raffety
Frank Walter Raffety OBE was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician.He was the son of C W Raffety, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. In 1898 he was called to the bar at the Middle Temple, and practiced on the Northern Circuit.He developed an interest in politics, and became honorary...
. Raffety took the seat, but at that parliament was dissolved less than a year later. At the general election in October 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, Foxcroft retook the seat with 56% of the votes in a 3-way contest.
He died in office in February 1929, aged 60.
Family
Foxcroft was the son of Edward Talbot Day Foxcroft (c.1837–1911), born Edward Talbot Day Jones, the owner of Hinton House at Hinton CharterhouseHinton Charterhouse
Hinton Charterhouse is a small village and civil parish in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset, England. The parish, which includes the village of Midford, has a population of 477....
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He inherited the estate on the death of his father.