Clement Edwards
Encyclopedia
Clement Edwards (7 June 1869 – 23 June 1938), usually known as Clem, was a Welsh
lawyer
, journalist
, trade union
activist and Liberal Party
politician. As a barrister
specialising in trade union and labour law he was briefed in some of the most important cases of the day concerning the rights of trade unions to engage in industrial and political action. Edwards was always active in the Welsh radical
tradition and was strongly opposed to Labour
. During the First World War his patriotism
grew enormously and he became a founding member of the National Democratic Party (NDP)
. He was elected one of the NDP’s Members of Parliament in 1918
and served as its chairman in the House of Commons.
, the son of a master tailor and draper, one of seven children. He was educated at the local school in Knighton, undertook private studies and also attended evening classes at Birkbeck Institute in London. In 1890, Edwards married Fanny Emerson, the daughter of the superintendent of Trinity House
, Great Yarmouth
. She died in 1920. Two years later Edwards was re-married, to Alice May Parker, a political colleague in the NDP. They had one son, John Charles Gordon Clement Edwards (1924–2004) who served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War and later became a solicitor
.
In religion, although born into an Anglican family, Edwards became a Congregationalist and was considered a typical Welsh-speaking
champion of nonconformist causes.
. He was drawn to trade union cases and in the Taff Vale case
of 1901 he was one of Counsel briefed on behalf of the trade union. He was also briefed in another railway action, the Osborne case, concerning trade union support for MPs
.
He was also general secretary of the federation of dockland and transport unions. Edwards had a flair for mass organisation. In the great dock strike of 1889, he was one of John Burns
’ lieutenants in the organisation of the dispute and in 1893, he organised a mass demonstration in Hyde Park
in aid of miners and their families undergoing severe hardship and was also responsible for another demonstration at the same venue by 30,000 laundresses.
During his time working for the dock labourers, Edwards was to play a leading part in the public inquiry which looked into the sinking of the RMS Titanic. He put the miners' case following the infamous 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
in which 439 men died. But Edwards never conceived of the trade unions as the industrial arm of the socialist movement
. He understood them as the working-man’s defence against unfair employers and a protection against an economic system which produced personal poverty, immorality, and misery.
where he held the title Special Commissioner.
Edwards was a member of the Fabian Society
and in local politics he stood for election as Progressive Party
candidate for the London School Board
in 1894 in Islington
before being elected to Islington council in 1898. He stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Liberal in 1895
for Tottenham
and in 1900
for Denbigh Boroughs
before winning in Denbigh in 1906
.
He stood for re-election there in January 1910 but lost by just eight votes. However, he was quickly selected for another Welsh seat, this time with a more secure Liberal vote, and in December 1910, he was elected as MP for the mining seat of East Glamorganshire
in a three-cornered contest against Unionist
and Labour
opposition.
, which gave the government wide-ranging powers and on the question of conscription
. As W. Llewelyn Williams
, Liberal MP for Carmarthen
put it, “...it would be a tragedy worse than war if, in order to win the war, England ceased to be the beacon of freedom and liberty she has been in the past.” However it was hard to stand up against the tide of patriotic fervour sweeping the country and this infected Edwards as it did many others on the radical wing of the party. With former union leader Ben Tillett
and other Labour men from a trade union background, Edwards backed David Lloyd George
, notably in efforts to prevent industrial unrest and keep the war effort on track.
In 1916, the British Workers League
was formed as an organisation for patriotic labour to get behind the war effort and for commercial preference within the British Empire
. Edwards was drawn to the League which changed its name to the National Democratic Party for the 1918 general election
. The party won nine seats at the election. Edwards was the NDP candidate for East Ham South
where he was elected as a supporter of the Coalition government
in 1918. He may have been granted the Coalition coupon
but was opposed by a Unionist and his Labour opponent was Arthur Henderson
the future leader of the Labour Party. Edwards was the chairman of the NDP in Parliament from 1918-1920.
The development of the Labour Party, post-war industrial unrest of which Edwards and the NDP continued to disapprove and the increasing unpopularity of the Lloyd George coalition, combined to undermine the NDP’s appeal to patriotic labour. Edwards defended East Ham South at the 1922 general election
for the NDP, as a supporter of Lloyd George, but was pushed into third place in a three-cornered contest won by Labour’s Alfred Barnes.
He claimed to be a Liberal until 1931, when he lost faith with the party leaders and resigned his membership.
He continued in the law until retirement.
, on 23 June 1938. He was cremated at Golders Green.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist and 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...
politician. As a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
specialising in trade union and labour law he was briefed in some of the most important cases of the day concerning the rights of trade unions to engage in industrial and political action. Edwards was always active in the Welsh radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
tradition and was strongly opposed to Labour
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...
. During the First World War his patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
grew enormously and he became a founding member of the National Democratic Party (NDP)
National Democratic and Labour Party
The National Democratic and Labour Party, usually abbreviated to National Democratic Party , was a political party in the United Kingdom....
. He was elected one of the NDP’s Members of Parliament in 1918
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...
and served as its chairman in the House of Commons.
Family and education
Edwards was born in Knighton in RadnorshireRadnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
, the son of a master tailor and draper, one of seven children. He was educated at the local school in Knighton, undertook private studies and also attended evening classes at Birkbeck Institute in London. In 1890, Edwards married Fanny Emerson, the daughter of the superintendent of Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
, Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. She died in 1920. Two years later Edwards was re-married, to Alice May Parker, a political colleague in the NDP. They had one son, John Charles Gordon Clement Edwards (1924–2004) who served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War and later became a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
.
In religion, although born into an Anglican family, Edwards became a Congregationalist and was considered a typical Welsh-speaking
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
champion of nonconformist causes.
The law
Edwards began his law career working in a solicitor’s office. In 1899, he was called to the Bar by the Middle TempleMiddle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He was drawn to trade union cases and in the Taff Vale case
Taff Vale Case
Taff Vale Railway Co v Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants [1901] , commonly known as the Taff Vale case is a formative case in UK labour law...
of 1901 he was one of Counsel briefed on behalf of the trade union. He was also briefed in another railway action, the Osborne case, concerning trade union support for MPs
Trade Union activism
Edward’s law work for the unions strengthened his political and social awareness and from the 1880s, he was involved in the formation of trade unions for unskilled workers. Despite his legal connections to the railway unions, Edwards developed a special connection with the dock workers and was at one time assistant secretary of the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' UnionDock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union
The Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers Union was a British trade union. It emerged in response to the outbreak of the London Dock Strike in 1889 and rapidly became the principal union for dockworkers in London, Bristol, Cardiff, and other ports in the south and south-west. In South Wales...
.
He was also general secretary of the federation of dockland and transport unions. Edwards had a flair for mass organisation. In the great dock strike of 1889, he was one of John Burns
John Burns
John Elliot Burns was an English trade unionist and politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly associated with London politics. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was anti-alcohol and a keen sportsman...
’ lieutenants in the organisation of the dispute and in 1893, he organised a mass demonstration in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in aid of miners and their families undergoing severe hardship and was also responsible for another demonstration at the same venue by 30,000 laundresses.
During his time working for the dock labourers, Edwards was to play a leading part in the public inquiry which looked into the sinking of the RMS Titanic. He put the miners' case following the infamous 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
The Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, also known as the Senghenydd Explosion, occurred in Senghenydd , near Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales on 14 October 1913, killing 439 miners...
in which 439 men died. But Edwards never conceived of the trade unions as the industrial arm of the socialist movement
Syndicalism
Syndicalism is a type of economic system proposed as a replacement for capitalism and an alternative to state socialism, which uses federations of collectivised trade unions or industrial unions...
. He understood them as the working-man’s defence against unfair employers and a protection against an economic system which produced personal poverty, immorality, and misery.
Politics
From trade union activism, Edwards expanded into political activity, including radical journalism, becoming labour editor of the London newspaper The Sun in 1893 and then The Echo in 1894. He then transferred to the Daily NewsNews Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
where he held the title Special Commissioner.
Edwards was a member of the 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 in local politics he stood for election as Progressive Party
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
candidate for 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 1894 in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
before being elected to Islington council in 1898. He stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Liberal in 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
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 :...
and in 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
for Denbigh Boroughs
Denbigh Boroughs (UK Parliament constituency)
Denbigh District of Boroughs was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Denbigh in Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons.The constituency first returned an MP in 1542, to the English Parliament...
before winning in Denbigh in 1906
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**...
.
He stood for re-election there in January 1910 but lost by just eight votes. However, he was quickly selected for another Welsh seat, this time with a more secure Liberal vote, and in December 1910, he was elected as MP for the mining seat of East Glamorganshire
East Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Glamorganshire, Wales. 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:...
in a three-cornered contest against 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...
and Labour
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...
opposition.
National Democratic Party
The coming of the First World War presented the Liberal Party with many difficult political decisions over essentially illiberal legislation such as the Defence of the Realm ActDefence of the Realm Act 1914
The Defence of the Realm Act was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, during the early weeks of World War I. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war period, such as the power to requisition buildings or land needed for the war effort, or to make regulations creating...
, which gave the government wide-ranging powers and on the question of conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. As W. Llewelyn Williams
W. Llewelyn Williams
W. Llewelyn Williams , was a Welsh journalist, lawyer and Liberal Party politician.He was born at Brownhill Llansadwrn, Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire; a memorial plaque was erected in front of the house in 1938...
, Liberal MP for Carmarthen
Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
put it, “...it would be a tragedy worse than war if, in order to win the war, England ceased to be the beacon of freedom and liberty she has been in the past.” However it was hard to stand up against the tide of patriotic fervour sweeping the country and this infected Edwards as it did many others on the radical wing of the party. With former union leader Ben Tillett
Ben Tillett
Benjamin Tillett was a British socialist, trade union leader and politician. He was born in Bristol and began his working life as a sailor, before travelling to London and taking up work as a docker....
and other Labour men from a trade union background, Edwards backed David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, notably in efforts to prevent industrial unrest and keep the war effort on track.
In 1916, the British Workers League
British Workers League
The British Workers League was a 'patriotic labour' group which was anti-socialist and pro-war.The league's origins lay in the 1915 split by the right-wing of the British Socialist Party, primarily over issues raised by the First World War...
was formed as an organisation for patriotic labour to get behind the war effort and for commercial preference within the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Edwards was drawn to the League which changed its name to the National Democratic Party for 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...
. The party won nine seats at the election. Edwards was the NDP candidate for East Ham South
East Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)
East Ham South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the East Ham district of London, which was in Essex until 1965. 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.- History :The...
where he was elected as a supporter of the Coalition government
Coalition 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...
in 1918. He may have been granted the Coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
but was opposed by a Unionist and his Labour opponent was Arthur Henderson
Arthur Henderson
Arthur Henderson was a British iron moulder and Labour politician. He was the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and he served three short terms as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1908–1910, 1914–1917 and 1931-1932....
the future leader of the Labour Party. Edwards was the chairman of the NDP in Parliament from 1918-1920.
The development of the Labour Party, post-war industrial unrest of which Edwards and the NDP continued to disapprove and the increasing unpopularity of the Lloyd George coalition, combined to undermine the NDP’s appeal to patriotic labour. Edwards defended East Ham South 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...
for the NDP, as a supporter of Lloyd George, but was pushed into third place in a three-cornered contest won by Labour’s Alfred Barnes.
Later life
Edwards did not stand for Parliament again. His opinions and history were not a good fit with the reunited Liberal Party after 1922. He remained a champion of union rights during the industrial turmoil of the 1920s but took little part in public or political affairs after losing his Parliamentary seat.He claimed to be a Liberal until 1931, when he lost faith with the party leaders and resigned his membership.
He continued in the law until retirement.
Death
Edwards died of cancer at Manor House Hospital, Golders GreenGolders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
, on 23 June 1938. He was cremated at Golders Green.
Publications
- Railway Nationalization, Methuen & Co., 1898
- The Children’s Labour Question, Daily News, 1899
- (Jointly with George Haw) No Room to Live: the plaint of overcrowded London, Wells Gardner & Co., London, 1900 (reprinted from the Daily News)
- The Compensation Act, 1906: Who pays? to whom, to what, and when it applies, Chatto & Windus, 1907
- Articles and journalism on labour, economics, industry and politics