Francis Lucas (English politician)
Encyclopedia
Colonel Francis Alfred Lucas (7 June 1850 – 11 December 1918) was a British company director and Conservative Party
politician who lived in London
and in Suffolk
. He sat in the House of Commons from 1900 until his defeat in 1906.
, after which he went into business, becoming a partner in Lucas, Nicholls and Company, a merchants firm with operations in London, Stockport
and Manchester
. He was a director of both Allied Insurance and Allied Marine Insurance.
He was also an actively involved in the Volunteer Force
, serving for 35 years as a member of the Artists Rifles, mostly as an officer. He then became Commander of the Harwich Voluntary Infantry Brigade from 1900 to 1906.
He was also a governor of Christ's Hospital
and of Guy's Hospital
, and a Justice of the Peace
for Suffolk
, where his country residence Easton Park was located near Wickham Market
.
at the 1895 general election
, and at the 1900 general election
he was elected as MP for Lowestoft, with a majority of over 20% of the votes. However, at the 1906 election
, he was defeated by the Liberal candidate Edward Beauchamp, who won the seat with a 14% majority. Noting the scale of Liberal gains in the election, The Times
noted the Lowestoft result as evidence that "apparently, no Unionist seat is now secure".
After his defeat in 1906, Lucas did not stand again in Lowestoft. He unsuccessfully contested the Kennington division of Lambeth
at both the January 1910 and December 1910 elections, and at the 1918 general election
he stood again in Kennington. However he died on 11 December 1918, aged 68, after he had already been formally nominated, which caused the election to be delayed in Kennington until a new candidate could be nominated.
His death, at his London residence in Stornoway House, Cleveland Row, St James's, was due to heart failure brought about by influenza
.
. Her brother Sydney Stern
was the Liberal peer Lord Wandsworth
.
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 who lived in 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...
and in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. He sat in the House of Commons from 1900 until his defeat in 1906.
Early life
Lucas was the son of Sampson Lucas, of Gloucester Square, London. He was educated privately and then at University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, after which he went into business, becoming a partner in Lucas, Nicholls and Company, a merchants firm with operations in London, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He was a director of both Allied Insurance and Allied Marine Insurance.
He was also an actively involved in the Volunteer Force
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
, serving for 35 years as a member of the Artists Rifles, mostly as an officer. He then became Commander of the Harwich Voluntary Infantry Brigade from 1900 to 1906.
He was also a governor of Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
and of Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
, and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, where his country residence Easton Park was located near Wickham Market
Wickham Market
Wickham Market is a large village situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area.It is on the A12 trunk road thirteen miles north-east of the county town of Ipswich, five miles north-east of Woodbridge. Its railway station is located approximately...
.
Political career
He unsuccessfully contested the Louth division of LincolnshireLouth, Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Louth was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
at the 1895 general election
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...
, and at the 1900 general election
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**...
he was elected as MP for Lowestoft, with a majority of over 20% of the votes. However, at the 1906 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**...
, he was defeated by the Liberal candidate Edward Beauchamp, who won the seat with a 14% majority. Noting the scale of Liberal gains in the election, 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...
noted the Lowestoft result as evidence that "apparently, no Unionist seat is now secure".
After his defeat in 1906, Lucas did not stand again in Lowestoft. He unsuccessfully contested the Kennington division of Lambeth
Kennington (UK Parliament constituency)
Kennington was a borough constituency centred on the Kennington district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
at both the January 1910 and December 1910 elections, and at 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...
he stood again in Kennington. However he died on 11 December 1918, aged 68, after he had already been formally nominated, which caused the election to be delayed in Kennington until a new candidate could be nominated.
His death, at his London residence in Stornoway House, Cleveland Row, St James's, was due to heart failure brought about by 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...
.
Family
In 1887 Lucas married Alice, younger daughter of Viscount David de SternDavid de Stern
David de Stern, also known as Viscount Stern was a British banker and senior partner of the firm of Stern Brothers....
. Her brother Sydney Stern
Sydney Stern, 1st Baron Wandsworth
Sydney James Stern, 1st Baron Wandsworth JP was a British banker, Liberal Member of Parliament and philanthropist.-Background and education:...
was the Liberal peer Lord Wandsworth
Sydney Stern, 1st Baron Wandsworth
Sydney James Stern, 1st Baron Wandsworth JP was a British banker, Liberal Member of Parliament and philanthropist.-Background and education:...
.