John Hobbis Harris
Encyclopedia
Sir John Hobbis Harris was an English missionary
, campaigner against slavery
and Liberal Party
politician.
, Oxfordshire
. His father, also John Hobbis Harris, was a plumber and later a builder. On 6 May 1898 he married Alice Seeley from Frome
in Somerset
. They had two sons and two daughters.
for a firm of gentlemen’s outfitters. He was a devout Christian and did evangelical social work before training to become a Baptist
missionary in Central Africa
. He and his wife departed for the Congo Free State
soon after their marriage but they were soon horrified by the brutal treatment, murder and enslavement of the native people at the hands of the Belgian agents exploiting the territory for rubber and ivory.
of which Harris was a member. Harris valued international cooperation and was for a while a member of the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union.
Liberal Asssociation and first contested a Parliamentary seat at Camberwell North West
as an Independent Asquithian Liberal at the 1922 general election
. In a three-cornered contest with Dr T J Macnamara
the Lloyd George
National Liberal
and Dr H B W Morgan
for Labour
Harris came third with 19.5% of the vote.
at the 1923 general election
when he was elected Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for North Hackney
, defeating the sitting Conservative
member Sir Walter Greene by 11,177 votes to 9,523 - a majority of 1,654.
but this time, against a new Tory
candidate, Austin Hudson
and facing a three-cornered fight with Labour
he lost to Hudson by 4,794 votes.
Harris tried to regain his seat the 1929 general election
. In a tight three-cornered fight in which he gained 31.4% of the poll, to Hudson’s 35.7% and Labour’s 32.9%, he fell into third place.
he fought the Wiltshire
seat of Westbury
. This must have seemed a winnable seat as the result at the 1929 general election
had been a narrow victory for the Conservative Richard Long
by just 67 votes over the Liberal Harcourt Johnstone
, with Labour in third place. However in the conditions of the 1931 general election and the crisis which had led to the formation of the National Government of Ramsay MacDonald
, although neither Conservative nor Liberal candidates fought with the suffix National on their descriptions, the Tory
Robert Grimston
seems to have picked up the pro-government surge and won with a majority of 5,935 over Harris with Labour in third place.
Harris did not stand for Parliament again.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
, campaigner against slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
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
Harris was born in WantageWantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. His father, also John Hobbis Harris, was a plumber and later a builder. On 6 May 1898 he married Alice Seeley from Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. They had two sons and two daughters.
Career
Harris worked in the City of LondonCity 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...
for a firm of gentlemen’s outfitters. He was a devout Christian and did evangelical social work before training to become a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
missionary in Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
. He and his wife departed for the Congo Free State
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...
soon after their marriage but they were soon horrified by the brutal treatment, murder and enslavement of the native people at the hands of the Belgian agents exploiting the territory for rubber and ivory.
Campaigner
To protest at what they saw in Africa, Harris and his wife became active campaigners. They brought these atrocities to the attention of the British government and politicians, gave evidence at hearings, published books, papers and photographs, gave lectures and addressed hundreds of public meetings. Ahead of his time, Harris became a campaigner against the colonial system of the day and promoted the idea of self-determination for native peoples. One of the political campaigners he found would listen was E D Morel who was a co-founder of the Congo Reform AssociationCongo Reform Association
The Congo Reform Association exposed gross and rampant abuses of labor and by public servants in King Leopold II of Belgium's Congo Free State, leading to the annexation of Congo by Belgium in 1908. In March, 1904, Dr. Henry Grattan Guinness , Edmund Dene Morel, and Roger Casement founded the Congo...
of which Harris was a member. Harris valued international cooperation and was for a while a member of the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union.
1910-1922
From 1910 Harris was parliamentary secretary to the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society. This association led him to take up active politics. He was President of DulwichDulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
Liberal Asssociation and first contested a Parliamentary seat at Camberwell North West
Camberwell North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Camberwell North West was a borough constituency located in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, in 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 voting system.The constituency was created...
as an Independent Asquithian Liberal 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...
. In a three-cornered contest with Dr T J Macnamara
Thomas James Macnamara
Thomas James Macnamara PC , was a British teacher, educationalist and Liberal politician.-Education:Macnamara was born in Montreal, Canada, the son of a soldier originally from County Clare in Ireland. His family returned to Britain in 1869 and Macnamara was educated first at the Depot School in...
the Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
and Dr H B W Morgan
Hyacinth Morgan
Hyacinth Bernard Wenceslaus Morgan was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament from 1929 to 1931, and 1940 to 1955....
for 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...
Harris came third with 19.5% of the vote.
1923
Harris entered ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
when he was elected Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for North Hackney
Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency)
Hackney North was a parliamentary constituency in the "The Metropolis" . It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
, defeating 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...
member Sir Walter Greene by 11,177 votes to 9,523 - a majority of 1,654.
1924-1929
He defended his seat in general election of 1924United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
but this time, against a new 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...
candidate, Austin Hudson
Sir Austin Hudson, 1st Baronet
Sir Austin Uvedale Morgan Hudson, 1st Baronet was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom....
and facing a three-cornered fight 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...
he lost to Hudson by 4,794 votes.
Harris tried to regain his seat the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. In a tight three-cornered fight in which he gained 31.4% of the poll, to Hudson’s 35.7% and Labour’s 32.9%, he fell into third place.
1931
Harris tried once more to re-enter the House of Commons. At the 1931 general electionUnited 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...
he fought the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
seat of Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
. This must have seemed a winnable seat as the result at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
had been a narrow victory for the Conservative Richard Long
Richard Long, 3rd Viscount Long
Richard Eric Onslow Long, 3rd Viscount Long DL TD was a British Conservative Party politician. He married Gwendoline Hague-Cook in 1916, and they had three sons, including Richard Long, and one daughter....
by just 67 votes over the Liberal Harcourt Johnstone
Harcourt Johnstone
Harcourt 'Crinks' Johnstone was a British Liberal Party politician.-Early Life & Education:Johnstone was born in London in 1895, the son of the Hon. Sir Alan Johnstone, a British diplomat, and his American wife Antoinette Pinchot. His nickname 'Crinks' is alleged to have derived from the wrinkled...
, with Labour in third place. However in the conditions of the 1931 general election and the crisis which had led to the formation of the National Government of Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
, although neither Conservative nor Liberal candidates fought with the suffix National on their descriptions, 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...
Robert Grimston
Robert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury
Robert Villiers Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury was a British Conservative politician.The eldest son of the Rev. and Hon...
seems to have picked up the pro-government surge and won with a majority of 5,935 over Harris with Labour in third place.
Harris did not stand for Parliament again.
Knighthood
Harris was knighted in the New Year Honours list of 1933 for his services to the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society.Death
Harris died suddenly from bronchitis and a cerebral haemorrhage on 30 April 1940 in the garden of his home in Frome, aged 65 years. His death was unexpected as he had been at work only a few days before.Publications
- Coolie Labour in the British Crown Colonies and Protectorates - Edward Hughes & Co, London 1910
- Domestic Slavery in Southern Nigeria – Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1911
- Dawn in Darkest Africa - Smith, Elder & Co, London 1912
- Present Conditions in the Congo - Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1912
- Portuguese Slavery, Britain’s Dilemma – Methuen & Co, London 1913
- Germany’s Lost Colonial Empire – Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, London 1917
- The Greatest Land Case in British History: The Struggle for Native Rights in Rhodesia before the Judicial Committee of His Majesty’s Privy Council - Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1918
- Africa – Slave or Free? – Student Christian Movement; 1919
- The Fight for Vegetable Oils: The right of native races to sell their produce - Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1919
- The Chartered Millions: Rhodesia and the Challenge to the British Commonwealth – Swarthmore Press, London 1920
- The Mandatory System after Five Years Working - Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1925
- Slavery or Sacred Trust – Williams & Norgate, London 1926
- Freeing the Slaves - Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, London 1926
- A Century of Emancipation – J M Dent & Sons, London 1933