John Pritchard (MP)
Encyclopedia
John Pritchard was an English lawyer, banker and Conservative Party
politician from Broseley
(and later Stanmore), near Bridgnorth
in Shropshire
.
After the death of his father in 1837, he gave up the law and with his brother George (died 1861) he worked at Vickers, Son & Pritchard, the bank in which his father had been partner. The bank's offices were in Broseley and in the nearby town of Bridgnorth, and it was taken over in 1888 by Lloyds Bank
. Pritchard was a close friend of the architect John Ruskin
, who visited Pritchard at Broseley Hall, one of several properties inherited from his brother. Pritchard later moved to Stanmore Grove, another property inherited from his brother.
He died in 1891, aged 94, having been a county magistrate and borough J.P. His estates were left to his wife Jane for her lifetime, and thereafter to William Pritchard Gordon, a partner in the bank.
(MP) for the borough of Bridgnorth
in Shropshire
at an unopposed by-election
on 23 March 1853, after the 1852 general election
result in that seat had been overturned on petition.
He held the seat for the next 15 years, until he stood down at 1868 general election
, having faced only one contested election, in 1865.
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...
politician from Broseley
Broseley
Broseley is a small town in Shropshire, England with a population of 4,912 . The River Severn flows to the north and east of the town. Broseley has a town council and is part of the area controlled by Shropshire Council. The first iron bridge in the world was built in 1779 to link Broseley with...
(and later Stanmore), near Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
After the death of his father in 1837, he gave up the law and with his brother George (died 1861) he worked at Vickers, Son & Pritchard, the bank in which his father had been partner. The bank's offices were in Broseley and in the nearby town of Bridgnorth, and it was taken over in 1888 by Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
. Pritchard was a close friend of the architect John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, who visited Pritchard at Broseley Hall, one of several properties inherited from his brother. Pritchard later moved to Stanmore Grove, another property inherited from his brother.
He died in 1891, aged 94, having been a county magistrate and borough J.P. His estates were left to his wife Jane for her lifetime, and thereafter to William Pritchard Gordon, a partner in the bank.
Political career
Pritchard was elected as the 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,...
(MP) for the borough of Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.It...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
at an unopposed by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 23 March 1853, after the 1852 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
result in that seat had been overturned on petition.
He held the seat for the next 15 years, until he stood down at 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
, having faced only one contested election, in 1865.