Horatio Myer
Encyclopedia
Horatio Myer was a British
businessman, iron trades manufacturer and later, Liberal
politician.
, the son of a German
Jewish immigrant, Abraham Myer, who was a jeweller, silversmith and watchmaker. Horatio Myer’s precise date of birth is not certain but he appeared on the census
of 31 March 1851 when his age was given as 10 months. Myer married Esther Joseph on 28 November 1877. They had four sons and by 1891 they were well off enough to have a house in Paddington
with a visiting German governess
, a cook and a housemaid.
and in 1876 set up a business in Vauxhall
producing iron and brass bedsteads, iron cots and bed chairs. By 1914 the company employed over 200 workers. Myer also expanded his business interests over the years to include corn and forage and wine merchandising.
for Kennington
and served until 1904. At the general election of 1906
, he was elected as Liberal MP for Lambeth North
, a Liberal gain from the Unionists
. He had won the Liberal nomination against some opposition, including a campaign to have former Liberal MP for Finsbury Central
, Dadabhai Naoroji
, the first non-white person to sit in the House of Commons, selected as candidate. In fact Naoroji decided to stand in Lambeth North as an independent Liberal but did not split the vote badly enough to cost Myer the seat. Despite heading the poll in Lambeth North in 1906, Myer was unable to hold the seat at the general election of January 1910. This was despite having acquired a reputation for clever electioneering, assistance during the campaign from his former LCC colleague John Burns
, by then the MP for Battersea
, the first working man to gain full cabinet
rank and some disruptive tactics by Liberals at Unionist meetings.
, publishing a pamphlet on 'Taxation of Landlords’ but it is known that that fiscal reform was an issue taken up by his Conservative opponent in the 1906 election. One of the questions Myer raised early in the new Parliament was the treatment of Zulu prisoners in Natal
and whether they were to be forced to work as diamond mine
rs. He was also interested in employment issues, co-authoring a letter to the Times on 4 May 1907 suggesting new ways of reducing unemployment.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
businessman, iron trades manufacturer and later, Liberal
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
Myer was born in 1850 at HerefordHereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, the son of a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Jewish immigrant, Abraham Myer, who was a jeweller, silversmith and watchmaker. Horatio Myer’s precise date of birth is not certain but he appeared on the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 31 March 1851 when his age was given as 10 months. Myer married Esther Joseph on 28 November 1877. They had four sons and by 1891 they were well off enough to have a house in Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
with a visiting German governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
, a cook and a housemaid.
Career
At the age of nineteen Myer went to work in the wool trade. He then moved to LondonLondon
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 1876 set up a business in Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
producing iron and brass bedsteads, iron cots and bed chairs. By 1914 the company employed over 200 workers. Myer also expanded his business interests over the years to include corn and forage and wine merchandising.
Politics
Politically, Myer may have been influenced by his father, who naturalised as a British citizen and became a town councillor. In 1889 Myer was elected 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...
for Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
and served until 1904. At the general election of 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 was elected as Liberal MP for Lambeth North
Lambeth North (UK Parliament constituency)
Lambeth North was a borough constituency centred on the Lambeth 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.- History :...
, a Liberal gain from the Unionists
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...
. He had won the Liberal nomination against some opposition, including a campaign to have former Liberal MP for Finsbury Central
Finsbury Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Finsbury Central was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Finsbury district of North 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....
, Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji , known as the Grand Old Man of India, was a Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton trader, and an early Indian political leader. His book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought attention to the draining of India's wealth into Britain...
, the first non-white person to sit in the House of Commons, selected as candidate. In fact Naoroji decided to stand in Lambeth North as an independent Liberal but did not split the vote badly enough to cost Myer the seat. Despite heading the poll in Lambeth North in 1906, Myer was unable to hold the seat at the general election of January 1910. This was despite having acquired a reputation for clever electioneering, assistance during the campaign from his former LCC colleague 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...
, by then the MP for Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, the first working man to gain full cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
rank and some disruptive tactics by Liberals at Unionist meetings.
Taxation
Myer took an interest in fiscal policyFiscal policy
In economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy....
, publishing a pamphlet on 'Taxation of Landlords’ but it is known that that fiscal reform was an issue taken up by his Conservative opponent in the 1906 election. One of the questions Myer raised early in the new Parliament was the treatment of Zulu prisoners in Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
and whether they were to be forced to work as diamond mine
Diamond Mine
Diamond Mine is the second album by Blue Rodeo, released in 1989. It includes several instrumental interludes by Bob Wiseman between songs.-Track listing:All songs by Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy.#"Swells"#"God and Country" – 3:32#"How Long" – 3:59...
rs. He was also interested in employment issues, co-authoring a letter to the Times on 4 May 1907 suggesting new ways of reducing unemployment.