John Freeman Dunn
Encyclopedia
John Freeman Dunn was an English banker and stockbroker, barrister
and Liberal Party
politician.
in Hampshire
the son of George Freeman Dunn. He was educated at Queen Mary’s School, Basingstoke. In 1914 he married Constance Henderson of Hove
in East Sussex
. They had a son and a daughter.
and Hove
Branches of the Midland Bank
, Ltd. He was an Associate of the Institute of Bankers
of which he was Gilbart Prizeman and became a partner in the firm of David A. Bevan Simpson & Co., stockbrokers, 37 Threadneedle Street in the City of London
. He was a member of the London Stock Exchange
. He was also a Director of the British American Trading Co., Ltd a merchant banking and Investment Company. In 1909, he was called to the bar at Gray’s Inn.
when he was selected as Liberal candidate for the Hertfordshire
seat of Hemel Hempstead
. In a good year for the Liberal Party, reunited after the splits of the Lloyd George
and Asquith
rivalries, Dunn defeated the sitting Conservative
MP, J C C Davidson
, in a nail-bitingly close straight fight by the margin of 17 votes. At the 1924 general election
, the Tory
Party had recovered its position and with Labour
also standing a candidate, Davidson regained his seat with a majority of nearly 5,000. The short period from 1923-24 was the only time Davidson failed to hold his seat between winning it at a by-election
in 1920 and his elevation to the peerage in 1937 – and even then he handed the seat to his wife, Frances
, in the resulting by-election.
in January 1928 when he was selected as Liberal candidate in a by-election at Faversham
in Kent
, following the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Granville Wheler. In a four cornered contest with Conservative, Labour and Independent Conservative opponents, Dunn came third with 18.6% of the poll.
in West Sussex
at the 1929 general election
. However in a straight fight with the Tories the sitting MP, John Sewell Courtauld
, held the seat comfortably with a majority of 8,880 votes.
, later moving to Pinner
in Middlesex
. The schools were founded with the aim of housing, feeding, clothing and educating the necessitous children of brethren "on the road" who met untimely death or became unable to earn their livelihood. The schools closed in 1967 but The Royal Pinner School Foundation succeeded the Schools to provide assistance in the education of children of commercial travellers, sales and technical representatives and manufacturers' agents where need can be shown.
, Surrey
on 7 December 1954, aged 80 years.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Liberal Party
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
Dunn was born in BasingstokeBasingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
the son of George Freeman Dunn. He was educated at Queen Mary’s School, Basingstoke. In 1914 he married Constance Henderson of Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. They had a son and a daughter.
Career
Dunn was for fifteen years the Manager of the BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
Branches of the Midland Bank
Midland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836...
, Ltd. He was an Associate of the Institute of Bankers
Institute of Bankers
The ifs School of Finance, founded in 1879 as the Institute of Bankers, is a registered educational charity incorporated by Royal Charter...
of which he was Gilbart Prizeman and became a partner in the firm of David A. Bevan Simpson & Co., stockbrokers, 37 Threadneedle Street 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 a member of the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
. He was also a Director of the British American Trading Co., Ltd a merchant banking and Investment Company. In 1909, he was called to the bar at Gray’s Inn.
Hemel Hempstead
Dunn first stood for Parliament at the 1923 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
when he was selected as Liberal candidate for the Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
seat of Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead (UK Parliament constituency)
Hemel Hempstead is a 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 :...
. In a good year for the Liberal Party, reunited after the splits of the Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
rivalries, Dunn defeated 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, J C C Davidson
J. C. C. Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson
John Colin Campbell Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson GCVO CH, CB, PC , known before his elevation to the peerage as J. C. C. Davidson, was a British civil servant and Conservative Party politician, best known for his close alliance with Stanley Baldwin...
, in a nail-bitingly close straight fight by the margin of 17 votes. At the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Party had recovered its position and with 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...
also standing a candidate, Davidson regained his seat with a majority of nearly 5,000. The short period from 1923-24 was the only time Davidson failed to hold his seat between winning it at 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 1920 and his elevation to the peerage in 1937 – and even then he handed the seat to his wife, Frances
Frances Davidson, Viscountess Davidson
Frances Joan Davidson, Viscountess Davidson DBE , styled Lady Davidson between 1935 and 1937 and as Viscountess Davidson between 1937 and 1985, was a British Conservative Party politician....
, in the resulting by-election.
Faversham by-election
Dunn got a chance to re-enter the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in January 1928 when he was selected as Liberal candidate in a by-election at Faversham
Faversham (UK Parliament constituency)
Faversham was a parliamentary constituency centered on the town of Faversham in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, following the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Granville Wheler. In a four cornered contest with Conservative, Labour and Independent Conservative opponents, Dunn came third with 18.6% of the poll.
Chichester
Dunn tried once more for Parliament, this time at ChichesterChichester (UK Parliament constituency)
Chichester is a county constituency in West Sussex, 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....
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...
at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. However in a straight fight with the Tories the sitting MP, John Sewell Courtauld
John Sewell Courtauld
John Sewell Courtauld , was an English Conservative Party politician.He was the son of Sydney Courtauld and Sarah Lucy Sharpe and is descended from the Courtauld family of silk/textiles/carpets, saw active service in the First World War and owned a company of architects...
, held the seat comfortably with a majority of 8,880 votes.
Royal Commercial Travellers Schools
Dunn was for twenty years Chairman of the Royal Commercial Travellers Schools, founded in 1845 by John Robert Cuffley, first in WansteadWanstead
Wanstead is a suburban area in the London Borough of Redbridge, North-East London. The main road going through Wanstead is the A12. The name is from the Anglo-Saxon words wænn and stede, meaning "settlement on a small hill"....
, later moving to Pinner
Pinner
- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. The schools were founded with the aim of housing, feeding, clothing and educating the necessitous children of brethren "on the road" who met untimely death or became unable to earn their livelihood. The schools closed in 1967 but The Royal Pinner School Foundation succeeded the Schools to provide assistance in the education of children of commercial travellers, sales and technical representatives and manufacturers' agents where need can be shown.
Death
Dunn died at his home, Hazards, Enton, GodalmingGodalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on 7 December 1954, aged 80 years.