Frederick Martin (politician)
Encyclopedia
Frederick Martin CBE (23 October 1882 – 18 January 1950) was a Scottish Liberal
, later Labour
politician and journalist.
in Aberdeenshire
, the third son of William Martin and Agnes Clark. He was educated at Peterhead Academy. He married Flora Rennie and they had two daughters.
for East Aberdeenshire
at the 1922 general election
. It was rare for anyone with a disability to get elected to Parliament but his blindness during war service brought him a great deal of personal sympathy. He held the seat at the 1923 general election
but was defeated in 1924
when he faced a three-cornered contest. He tried unsuccessfully to re-enter Parliament as Liberal candidate for Central Aberdeenshire
at the 1929 general election
.
it had failed to break back into power. According to one historian, Martin was one of a number of MPs, former MPs and candidates who could no longer imagine the circumstances in which the party could ever succeed again. He stood for Parliament twice more, now in the Labour interest, contesting East Aberdeenshire at the general elections of 1931
and 1935
.
and was Chairman of the Public Health Committee from 1932-45 and Chairman of the Education Committee, 1946-47. He was Vice-Convener (equivalent to Vice-Chairman) of the County between 1946 and 1949, when he became Convener. He died in office.
of Aberdeenshire in 1949.
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...
, later 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...
politician and journalist.
Family and education
Martin was born in PeterheadPeterhead
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, the third son of William Martin and Agnes Clark. He was educated at Peterhead Academy. He married Flora Rennie and they had two daughters.
Career
Martin became a journalist, working on the Aberdeen Free Press and Morning Post. In 1914 he joined the 5th Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He served until 1915 but became blind during his period of training and was hospitalised in St Dunstans Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors.Liberal politics
Martin was elected Liberal Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for East Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen and Kincardine East (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeen and Kincardine East was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1950. The constituency elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.As created in 1918, the constituency was largely a replacement...
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...
. It was rare for anyone with a disability to get elected to Parliament but his blindness during war service brought him a great deal of personal sympathy. He held the seat at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
but was defeated in 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
when he faced a three-cornered contest. He tried unsuccessfully to re-enter Parliament as Liberal candidate for Central Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen and Kincardine Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeen and Kincardine Central, also known as Central Aberdeenshire, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1950...
at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
.
Labour
After the 1929 general election, Martin defected from the Liberals to Labour, succumbing to a feeling that this was the end of the line for the old Liberal party. Despite the party having fought a spirited and radical campaign under the leadership of David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
it had failed to break back into power. According to one historian, Martin was one of a number of MPs, former MPs and candidates who could no longer imagine the circumstances in which the party could ever succeed again. He stood for Parliament twice more, now in the Labour interest, contesting East Aberdeenshire at the general elections of 1931
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...
and 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
.
Local government
However Martin did achieve political success at local government level. He served as Vice-Chairman of Aberdeenshire Education Authority from 1925-30. In 1929 he was elected a member of Aberdeenshire County CouncilAberdeenshire (historic)
Aberdeenshire or the County of Aberdeen is a registration county of Scotland. This area is also a lieutenancy area.Until 1975 Aberdeenshire was one of the counties of Scotland, governed by a county council from 1890...
and was Chairman of the Public Health Committee from 1932-45 and Chairman of the Education Committee, 1946-47. He was Vice-Convener (equivalent to Vice-Chairman) of the County between 1946 and 1949, when he became Convener. He died in office.
Honours
Martin was awarded the CBE in 1942 and was appointed Deputy LieutenantDeputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Aberdeenshire in 1949.