Frederick Caesar Linfield
Encyclopedia
Frederick Caesar Linfield (1861 – 2 June 1939) was a British Liberal
politician. He was originally in trade as a corn-merchant.
Council in West Sussex
, having been one of the first councillors when Worthing was newly incorporated as a Borough in 1890 and was Mayor
of Worthing twice from 1906-08. He was also an Alderman
of the Borough.
In 1907, during his Mayoral term, he formally welcomed General William Booth of the Salvation Army
to Worthing. He recalled that during the days when the Salvation Army was first campaigning there in the mid-1880s, it was deeply unpopular because of all the undesirables who were attracted to its banner for moral and physical sustenance. He told General Booth that he had himself hidden two Salvationists from the hostile crowds for two weeks.
in Lincolnshire
but he was defeated by 524 votes by the sitting Conservative
MP Lord Willoughby d’ Eresby
, who had held Horncastle at each election since 1895. Linfield was soon given another chance at Horncastle however when, only days after the general election, Lord Willoughby succeeded to the peerage on the death of his father, Lord Ancaster. Linfield was formally re-adopted as Liberal candidate on 5 January 1911 in opposition to the new Conservative candidate Captain Archibald G Weigall, who had fought the nearby seat of Gainsborough
at the December 1910 general election. The by-election was called for 16 February 1911 but Linfield was not expected to win, given the Unionist hold on the seat in recent times and an analysis of the past results and new voters on the roll enabled the correspondent of The Times
newspaper to forecast correctly that the Unionists would hold the seat,.
but in 1922
he was the Liberal candidate in Mid Bedfordshire
. He won the seat with a majority of 2,737 over the sitting Unionist MP Max Townley
. In the 1923 general election
, Linfield faced a three-cornered contest with a Labour
candidate also standing. Linfield had his majority cut to 2,023 but he described the Labour candidate, R L Widgell, as a Free Trader like himself and claimed that Widgell had just taken votes which would otherwise have gone to him.
and in particular to the development of the Colonial Territories. He had travelled abroad privately and had visited the British colonies in West Africa. In 1924 he was appointed as a Member of the East African Parliamentary Commission. He accompanied the other members of the Commission to Kenya
, Uganda
, Tanganyika
, Nyasaland
and Northern Rhodesia
, looking into the condition of the Colonies, their government, trade, infrastructure and social arrangements. The report of the Parliamentary Commission was published in May 1925 and various proposals for development and reform were put forward. However the Commission never questioned the colonial status quo, or the role or predominance of white settlers, endorsing their ‘civilizing mission’ and approving the continuing administration of the territories, holding them in trusteeship for the natives (sic). They also gave tacit approval for the continued development of the Highlands of Kenya as an increasingly white colony with, what they described as, “....a distinctive type of British civilisation”. Linfield also wrote a 13 page supplementary memorandum to the report in which he proposed the setting up of an Imperial Development Board. He followed this up with an article in the Contemporary Review
of March 1926 on ‘Empire Development’.
Division of Yorkshire for a by-election following the resignation of the sitting Conservative Lt. Colonel, the Hon. F S Jackson
, who had been an England test cricket
er before entering Parliament and who resigned on his appointment as Governor-General
of Bengal
. A keen fight was anticipated, especially on land and agricultural issues in what was to be a three-cornered contest. On polling day it was reported that voting was interfered with by fog and early polling was very light. However the area was a strong one for the Tories. Jackson had been unopposed at the general elections of 1923 and 1924. Linfield came second, nearly 4000 votes behind the victorious Tory Major William Henton Carver, with the Labour candidate losing his deposit
.
Linfield seemed prepared to try to get back into Parliament. At the 1929 general election
he returned to his former political stamping ground of Horncastle
in an effort to defeat the sitting Conservative MP Henry Haslam
. In a three-cornered contest he came second to Haslam but 2,669 votes behind. He then agreed to be adopted as Liberal candidate for Stoke Newington for the 1931 general election
but for some reason he withdrew his candidacy and did not stand at the election.
. And in a role related to his interest in Imperial affairs, Linfield was secretary to the Native Races and Liquor Traffic Committee (an organisation promoting temperance among indigenous peoples in the Empire, especially Africa).
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. He was originally in trade as a corn-merchant.
Local politics
Linfield first entered politics at local government level. He was a member of WorthingWorthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
Council 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...
, having been one of the first councillors when Worthing was newly incorporated as a Borough in 1890 and was Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Worthing twice from 1906-08. He was also an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the Borough.
In 1907, during his Mayoral term, he formally welcomed General William Booth of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
to Worthing. He recalled that during the days when the Salvation Army was first campaigning there in the mid-1880s, it was deeply unpopular because of all the undesirables who were attracted to its banner for moral and physical sustenance. He told General Booth that he had himself hidden two Salvationists from the hostile crowds for two weeks.
Parliamentary candidate
Linfield stood for Parliament at the general election of December 1910 as the Liberal candidate in HorncastleHorncastle (UK Parliament constituency)
Horncastle was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. MPs were elected by the first past the post system of voting....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
but he was defeated by 524 votes by the sitting 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...
MP Lord Willoughby d’ Eresby
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster
Sir Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 7th Baronet, 2nd Earl of Ancaster, 3rd Baron Aveland, 26th Baron Willoughby de Eresby , known as Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1892 to 1910, was a British Conservative politician....
, who had held Horncastle at each election since 1895. Linfield was soon given another chance at Horncastle however when, only days after the general election, Lord Willoughby succeeded to the peerage on the death of his father, Lord Ancaster. Linfield was formally re-adopted as Liberal candidate on 5 January 1911 in opposition to the new Conservative candidate Captain Archibald G Weigall, who had fought the nearby seat of Gainsborough
Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Gainsborough is a county 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....
at the December 1910 general election. The by-election was called for 16 February 1911 but Linfield was not expected to win, given the Unionist hold on the seat in recent times and an analysis of the past results and new voters on the roll enabled the correspondent of 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...
newspaper to forecast correctly that the Unionists would hold the seat,.
The result
Member of Parliament
Linfield does not seem to have stood for election at the United Kingdom general election, 1918United 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...
but 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...
he was the Liberal candidate in Mid Bedfordshire
Mid Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Mid Bedfordshire is a county 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...
. He won the seat with a majority of 2,737 over the sitting Unionist MP Max Townley
Max Townley
Maximilian Gowran Townley was a British land agent, agriculturist and politician. He served one term in Parliament as a Conservative, and later campaigned for policies to support agriculture...
. In the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, Linfield faced a three-cornered contest with a 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...
candidate also standing. Linfield had his majority cut to 2,023 but he described the Labour candidate, R L Widgell, as a Free Trader like himself and claimed that Widgell had just taken votes which would otherwise have gone to him.
Empire interests
Linfield took a strong interest in questions relating to the British EmpireBritish 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...
and in particular to the development of the Colonial Territories. He had travelled abroad privately and had visited the British colonies in West Africa. In 1924 he was appointed as a Member of the East African Parliamentary Commission. He accompanied the other members of the Commission to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
, Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
and Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
, looking into the condition of the Colonies, their government, trade, infrastructure and social arrangements. The report of the Parliamentary Commission was published in May 1925 and various proposals for development and reform were put forward. However the Commission never questioned the colonial status quo, or the role or predominance of white settlers, endorsing their ‘civilizing mission’ and approving the continuing administration of the territories, holding them in trusteeship for the natives (sic). They also gave tacit approval for the continued development of the Highlands of Kenya as an increasingly white colony with, what they described as, “....a distinctive type of British civilisation”. Linfield also wrote a 13 page supplementary memorandum to the report in which he proposed the setting up of an Imperial Development Board. He followed this up with an article in the Contemporary Review
Contemporary Review
-Foundation:It was founded in 1866 by Alexander Strahan and a group of intellectuals anxious to promote intelligent and independent opinion about the great issues of their day. They intended it to be the church-minded counterpart of the resolutely secular Fortnightly Review, which was founded by...
of March 1926 on ‘Empire Development’.
1924 general election
Linfield was away on this Parliamentary mission in Africa when the 1924 general election was called. He campaigned by telegraph appealing to his electors from Uganda that he hoped they would stand by him while he was away on Empire business. He also called on the Tories not to oppose him while he was doing his Imperial duty but the Conservatives rightly believed they had a good chance of winning Mid Bedfordshire this time and refused to stand their candidate down. The Labour party, whose government had sent Linfield to East Africa, did however agree not to stand a candidate, as they had in 1923 but despite the contest reverting to a straight fight with the Tory, Linfield lost by 961 votes.Parliamentary candidate again
In 1926, Linfield was adopted as Liberal candidate for the HowdenshireHowdenshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Howdenshire was a county constituency in Yorkshire which 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....
Division of Yorkshire for a by-election following the resignation of the sitting Conservative Lt. Colonel, the Hon. F S Jackson
Stanley Jackson
Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:...
, who had been an England test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er before entering Parliament and who resigned on his appointment as Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. A keen fight was anticipated, especially on land and agricultural issues in what was to be a three-cornered contest. On polling day it was reported that voting was interfered with by fog and early polling was very light. However the area was a strong one for the Tories. Jackson had been unopposed at the general elections of 1923 and 1924. Linfield came second, nearly 4000 votes behind the victorious Tory Major William Henton Carver, with the Labour candidate losing his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
.
Linfield seemed prepared to try to get back into Parliament. At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
he returned to his former political stamping ground of Horncastle
Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)
Horncastle was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. MPs were elected by the first past the post system of voting....
in an effort to defeat the sitting Conservative MP Henry Haslam
Henry Haslam
Henry Cobden Haslam was a British medical researcher and Conservative Party politician.The son of Henry Haslam, a "member" or insurance underwriter of Lloyd's of London, he was born in the north London suburb of Hampstead. He was educated at Dover College and in 1889 was admitted to Gonville and...
. In a three-cornered contest he came second to Haslam but 2,669 votes behind. He then agreed to be adopted as Liberal candidate for Stoke Newington for the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
but for some reason he withdrew his candidacy and did not stand at the election.
Other public and political work
In 1927 Linfield served on a committee of the Liberal Party to look into the organisation of the party in the London constituencies. In July 1928, he was a member of a deputation from the National Council for the Prevention of War which met the Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain in connection with the Kellogg Peace PactKellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg–Briand Pact was an agreement signed on August 27, 1928, by the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Weimar Germany and a number of other countries.The pact renounced war , prohibiting the use of war...
. And in a role related to his interest in Imperial affairs, Linfield was secretary to the Native Races and Liquor Traffic Committee (an organisation promoting temperance among indigenous peoples in the Empire, especially Africa).