Harold Glanville
Encyclopedia
Harold James Glanville was an English businessman and Liberal Party
politician.
in south London the son of James Glanville, a Chartered Accountant of 15 Great St Helens, in the City of London
. He was educated at Deptford
Grammar School
. In 1881 he married Hannah Elizabeth, the daughter of James and Hannah Abbott of Bermondsey. They had three sons and a daughter. One of their sons was James Harold Abbott Glanville (1884–1966) who also had a career in public service and was President of the Liberal Party in 1959-60. Hannah Glanville died in 1891. Harold was married for a second time in 1918 to Bertha Nimmo, a widow from Brockley
.
but afterwards he worked for a while in his father’s office. In 1883 he entered into partnership with his father-in-law and for over 30 years carried on the business of mill furnishers, being head of the firm of James White Abbott & Co. However he always took a keen interest in public affairs.
, a body set up under the Metropolis Management Act 1855
as a second tier of local government in London. In 1889 he was prominent in a campaign to stop the provision of meals and refreshments to vestrymen
and officials on the rates
. At this time Glanville was Secretary of the Bermondsey Liberal and Radical Association and was involved in a court case arising from a disturbance at a Vestry meeting where members of the public were being excluded from the proceedings.
(LCC). He was first elected to the LCC for the Rotherhithe Division in 1898 as a Progressive
. He was re-elected in 1901 and 1904. During his time on the Council he was chosen to represent the LCC on the Metropolitan Water Board
. He was last re-elected to the LCC for Rotherhithe in 1907. During his years on the Council Glanville held many local positions in the borough of Bermondsey and he also served as a Justice of the Peace
for the County of London.
at the 1892 general election
but he lost to the Conservative
John Cumming Macdona by 1,230 votes.
His next chance came in 1909 when he was adopted as Liberal candidate for Bermondsey
. There had been a by-election
in the seat on 28 October 1909. The sitting Liberal MP, George Joseph Cooper had died and the Liberals adopted Spencer Leigh Hughes a journalist to contest the constituency. However, the by-election was won by the Conservative John Dumphreys
who turned a Liberal majority of 1,759 at the 1906 general election
into a Conservative majority of 987 - although the intervention of a Labour
candidate who got 1,435 votes split the anti-Tory vote. Hughes then moved to Stockport
where he was elected in the general election of January 1910. This gave the Bermondsey Liberals the chance to pick a local man and Glanville was the successful applicant. He duly won the seat back in January 1910 in a straight fight against Dumphreys. He held the seat in the general election of December 1910 and served until 1918 when the constituency was abolished in boundary changes. A General Election had been expected to take place in either 1914 or 1915, at which, Glanville was expected to face a challenge, not only from a Unionist but also from an Independent Labour Party candidate, Dr Alfred Salter
.
During the earlier part of his Parliamentary career, Glanville was credited with playing a prominent part, as a backbencher, in the Liberal Party's programme of social reform legislation
.
Glanville then switched to the new seat of Bermondsey West
. At the 1918 general election
he was opposed by a Coalition Liberal, that is a member of that section of the party supporting Prime Minister David Lloyd George
in his Coalition government
with the Conservative Party. This candidate, Mr C R Scriven, presumably received the Coalition Coupon
. Glanville also faced Labour opposition and an Independent candidate supported by the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Soldiers and Sailors.
During this period of his time in Parliament, Glanville assumed duties for the government in relation to claims and allowances arising from the Great War and he was helped in discharging these duties by his son, H J A Glanville, who later went on to be a Progressive member of the LCC.
Glanville did not stand for re-election in 1922
as he was almost 70 years old by this time. However he earlier nearly got into the House of Lords
. In the struggle between the Liberal government and the House of Lords over the Parliament Act
, H H Asquith proposed to the King the creation of many new Liberal peers to ensure the measure could be carried if the Lords continued to obstruct. According to a list discovered in Asquith’s papers Glanville was named as someone who would be nominated as one of these peers.
on 27 September 1930 at the age of 76 years.
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.
Family and education
Glanville was born in BermondseyBermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
in south London the son of James Glanville, a Chartered Accountant of 15 Great St Helens, in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He was educated at Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. In 1881 he married Hannah Elizabeth, the daughter of James and Hannah Abbott of Bermondsey. They had three sons and a daughter. One of their sons was James Harold Abbott Glanville (1884–1966) who also had a career in public service and was President of the Liberal Party in 1959-60. Hannah Glanville died in 1891. Harold was married for a second time in 1918 to Bertha Nimmo, a widow from Brockley
Brockley
Brockley is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross.It is covered by the London postcode districts SE4 and SE14.-History:...
.
Career
On leaving school, Glanville entered the General Post OfficeGeneral Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
but afterwards he worked for a while in his father’s office. In 1883 he entered into partnership with his father-in-law and for over 30 years carried on the business of mill furnishers, being head of the firm of James White Abbott & Co. However he always took a keen interest in public affairs.
Bermondsey politics
Glanville started off in local politics. He served on the Bermondsey VestryVestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, a body set up under the Metropolis Management Act 1855
Metropolis Management Act 1855
The Metropolis Management Act 1855 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the Metropolitan Board of Works, a London-wide body to co-ordinate the construction of the city's infrastructure. The Act also created a second tier of local government consisting of parish vestries...
as a second tier of local government in London. In 1889 he was prominent in a campaign to stop the provision of meals and refreshments to vestrymen
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
and officials on the rates
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
. At this time Glanville was Secretary of the Bermondsey Liberal and Radical Association and was involved in a court case arising from a disturbance at a Vestry meeting where members of the public were being excluded from the proceedings.
London County Council
Glanville graduated from the Vestry to the London County CouncilLondon County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(LCC). He was first elected to the LCC for the Rotherhithe Division in 1898 as a Progressive
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...
. He was re-elected in 1901 and 1904. During his time on the Council he was chosen to represent the LCC on the Metropolitan Water Board
Metropolitan Water Board
The Metropolitan Water Board was founded in 1903 to bring the nine private water companies supplying water to London under a single public body. The members of the board were nominated by the various local authorities within its area of supply. A Royal Commission had reported in 1899 on the need...
. He was last re-elected to the LCC for Rotherhithe in 1907. During his years on the Council Glanville held many local positions in the borough of Bermondsey and he also served as 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 the County of London.
Parliament
Glanville’s first Parliamentary contest was for the constituency of RotherhitheRotherhithe (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherhithe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rotherhithe district of South London. 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....
at the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
but he lost to the 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...
John Cumming Macdona by 1,230 votes.
His next chance came in 1909 when he was adopted as Liberal candidate for Bermondsey
Bermondsey (UK Parliament constituency)
Bermondsey was a borough constituency centred on the Bermondsey district of South London, England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. There had been a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the seat on 28 October 1909. The sitting Liberal MP, George Joseph Cooper had died and the Liberals adopted Spencer Leigh Hughes a journalist to contest the constituency. However, the by-election was won by the Conservative John Dumphreys
John Dumphreys
John Molesworth Thomas Dumphreys was a British Conservative politician. He was elected Member of Parliament for Bermondsey in a 1909 by-election, but weeks later lost the seat to the Liberals at the January 1910 General Election.Dumphreys was born in Bermondsey in 1844. Of humble origins, he...
who turned a Liberal majority of 1,759 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**...
into a Conservative majority of 987 - although the intervention of 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 who got 1,435 votes split the anti-Tory vote. Hughes then moved to Stockport
Stockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport 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:...
where he was elected in the general election of January 1910. This gave the Bermondsey Liberals the chance to pick a local man and Glanville was the successful applicant. He duly won the seat back in January 1910 in a straight fight against Dumphreys. He held the seat in the general election of December 1910 and served until 1918 when the constituency was abolished in boundary changes. A General Election had been expected to take place in either 1914 or 1915, at which, Glanville was expected to face a challenge, not only from a Unionist but also from an Independent Labour Party candidate, Dr Alfred Salter
Alfred Salter
Dr Alfred Salter was a British medical practitioner and Labour Party politician.Southwark Council has offered £1000 reward for anyone who recovers the statue stolen on 18 November. -Early life:...
.
During the earlier part of his Parliamentary career, Glanville was credited with playing a prominent part, as a backbencher, in the Liberal Party's programme of social reform legislation
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
.
Glanville then switched to the new seat of Bermondsey West
Bermondsey West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bermondsey West was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Bermondsey district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. 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 was opposed by a Coalition Liberal, that is a member of that section of the party supporting Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
in his 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...
with the Conservative Party. This candidate, Mr C R Scriven, presumably received 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...
. Glanville also faced Labour opposition and an Independent candidate supported by the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Soldiers and Sailors.
During this period of his time in Parliament, Glanville assumed duties for the government in relation to claims and allowances arising from the Great War and he was helped in discharging these duties by his son, H J A Glanville, who later went on to be a Progressive member of the LCC.
Glanville did not stand for re-election 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...
as he was almost 70 years old by this time. However he earlier nearly got into the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In the struggle between the Liberal government and the House of Lords over the Parliament Act
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 are two Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which form part of the constitution of the United Kingdom. Section 2 of the Parliament Act 1949 provides that that Act and the Parliament Act 1911 are to be construed as one.The Parliament Act 1911 The...
, H H Asquith proposed to the King the creation of many new Liberal peers to ensure the measure could be carried if the Lords continued to obstruct. According to a list discovered in Asquith’s papers Glanville was named as someone who would be nominated as one of these peers.
Death
Glanville, who had been seriously ill for some time, died at his home, Westwood, West Hill, SydenhamSydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
on 27 September 1930 at the age of 76 years.