Joshua Fielden (politician)
Encyclopedia
Joshua Fielden was a British
cotton manufacturer and Conservative
politician.
Fielden was the son of the Radical
politician John Fielden
of Todmorden
, and his first wife, Anne Grindrod of Rochdale
. He was born in Todmorden, and after education at a Unitarian
school in Switzerland
, returned to England to work in the family textile firm, Fielden Brothers. He became a partner in the firm in 1852. The business was very successful and profitable, and the Fielden family dominated public life in Todmorden, controlling the town's local board
and paying for the building of the town hall.
Joshua differed from his father politically, becoming a Conservative, although he defended John Fielden's Ten Hours Act and sought improvements in working conditions in the cotton mills. He was an opponent of the New Poor Law
, and attempted to prevent the erection of a workhouse
in Todmorden. Together with his older brother Samuel, Joshua was a strong Unitarian, and they helped to sustain the denomination in northern England by the paying of salaries to ministers. In 1865 Joshua provided funds for the building of Todmorden Unitarian Church
. He was a justice of the peace
for Lancashire
and Yorkshire
(Todmorden being divided between the two counties).
In 1851 he married Ellen Brocklehurst of Macclesfield
, in the same year purchasing Stansfield Hall outside Todmorden as his residence.
By the 1860s Fielden was becoming involved in national politics, notably by his campaign against the Malt Tax. He also continued to argue for shorter working hours for labourers, while seeking cuts in government expenditure and was opposed to the disestablishment of the Church of England
. In August 1868 he was selected along with Christopher Denison
, to contest the two-seat Eastern Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire
in the Conservative interest in the general election of that year
. Both Conservatives were elected to serve in the Commons, and Fielden was to remain as a member of parliament
for 12 years, retiring from politics at the 1880 general election
. He subsequently spent much of his time sailing in his yacht Zingara.
In 1869 Fielden received a large inheritance from his uncle, and retired from the family business. In the following year he purchased the 300 acres (1.2 km²) Nutfield Priory Estate, near Redhill, Surrey
. He rebuilt Nutfield Priory as a Gothic mansion, employing John Gibson as his architect. Gibson had already worked for Fielden in Todmorden: he was responsible for the Unitarian chapel and for extending Stansfield Hall. He moved from Stansfield Hall to Nutfield in 1872, hiring a special train to move his possessions. He led an increasingly extragavant lifestyle, having withdrawn his capital from the family firm in 1879.
Joshua Fielden died in March 1887 at the Hotel Monte Carlo, Cannes
, France
. In spite of his lavish spending, he left an estate in excess of half a million pounds. He left Nutfield Priory and an annual income to his wife. The remaider of his property was divided between his 4 sons and 8 daughters. This included Stansfield Hall, estates at Hollins, Middletown Towers, Walsden and Rochdale, and Smithyholme and Rochdale Mills. He was buried in the churchyard of the chapel he had built in Todmorden on 15 March.
Two of Joshua Fielden's sons were to have parliamentary careers: his eldest son, Thomas Fielden
(1854–1897) was MP for Middleton
, which included the Lancashire portion of Todmorden, from 1886–1892, and 1895 and 1897. A younger son, Edward Brocklehurst Fielden
was MP for Middleton from 1900–1906, and for Manchester Exchange
from 1924 - 1935.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
cotton manufacturer and 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...
politician.
Fielden was the son of the Radical
Radicals (UK)
The Radicals were a parliamentary political grouping in the United Kingdom in the early to mid 19th century, who drew on earlier ideas of radicalism and helped to transform the Whigs into the Liberal Party.-Background:...
politician John Fielden
John Fielden
John Fielden , also known as Honest John Fielden, was a British social reformer and benefactor. He was the third son of Joshua Fielden, and began working in his father's mill at the age of 9. With his brothers, he expanded the family cotton business at Todmorden to become a wealthy businessman...
of Todmorden
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
, and his first wife, Anne Grindrod of Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
. He was born in Todmorden, and after education at a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
school in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, returned to England to work in the family textile firm, Fielden Brothers. He became a partner in the firm in 1852. The business was very successful and profitable, and the Fielden family dominated public life in Todmorden, controlling the town's local board
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
and paying for the building of the town hall.
Joshua differed from his father politically, becoming a Conservative, although he defended John Fielden's Ten Hours Act and sought improvements in working conditions in the cotton mills. He was an opponent of the New Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
, and attempted to prevent the erection of a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in Todmorden. Together with his older brother Samuel, Joshua was a strong Unitarian, and they helped to sustain the denomination in northern England by the paying of salaries to ministers. In 1865 Joshua provided funds for the building of Todmorden Unitarian Church
Todmorden Unitarian Church
Todmorden Unitarian Church is a formerly redundant Unitarian church standing in Honey Hole Road, Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England , now holding services again. It occupies an elevated position overlooking the town...
. He was 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 Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(Todmorden being divided between the two counties).
In 1851 he married Ellen Brocklehurst of Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, in the same year purchasing Stansfield Hall outside Todmorden as his residence.
By the 1860s Fielden was becoming involved in national politics, notably by his campaign against the Malt Tax. He also continued to argue for shorter working hours for labourers, while seeking cuts in government expenditure and was opposed to the disestablishment of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. In August 1868 he was selected along with Christopher Denison
Christopher Beckett Denison
Christopher Beckett Denison was a British colonial administrator and Conservative politician.He was the second son of Edmund Beckett Denison and his wife Maria née Beverley, of Grimsthorpe, Yorkshire...
, to contest the two-seat Eastern Division of the West Riding of Yorkshire
Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire was a parliamentary constituency covering part of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.- History :The constituency was created...
in the Conservative interest in the general election of that year
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...
. Both Conservatives were elected to serve in the Commons, and Fielden was to remain as a member of parliament
Member 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,...
for 12 years, retiring from politics at the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. He subsequently spent much of his time sailing in his yacht Zingara.
In 1869 Fielden received a large inheritance from his uncle, and retired from the family business. In the following year he purchased the 300 acres (1.2 km²) Nutfield Priory Estate, near Redhill, Surrey
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
. He rebuilt Nutfield Priory as a Gothic mansion, employing John Gibson as his architect. Gibson had already worked for Fielden in Todmorden: he was responsible for the Unitarian chapel and for extending Stansfield Hall. He moved from Stansfield Hall to Nutfield in 1872, hiring a special train to move his possessions. He led an increasingly extragavant lifestyle, having withdrawn his capital from the family firm in 1879.
Joshua Fielden died in March 1887 at the Hotel Monte Carlo, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In spite of his lavish spending, he left an estate in excess of half a million pounds. He left Nutfield Priory and an annual income to his wife. The remaider of his property was divided between his 4 sons and 8 daughters. This included Stansfield Hall, estates at Hollins, Middletown Towers, Walsden and Rochdale, and Smithyholme and Rochdale Mills. He was buried in the churchyard of the chapel he had built in Todmorden on 15 March.
Two of Joshua Fielden's sons were to have parliamentary careers: his eldest son, Thomas Fielden
Thomas Fielden (politician)
Thomas Fielden was a British Conservative Party politician.He was elected at the 1886 general election as Member of Parliament for the Middleton division of Lancashire, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1885. He was narrowly defeated in 1892 , but was re-elected to the House of...
(1854–1897) was MP for Middleton
Middleton (UK Parliament constituency)
Middleton was a county constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, it was represented by one Member of Parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918.-Members of Parliament:...
, which included the Lancashire portion of Todmorden, from 1886–1892, and 1895 and 1897. A younger son, Edward Brocklehurst Fielden
Edward Brocklehurst Fielden
Edward Brocklehurst Fielden was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician.A director of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, he was elected at the 1900 general election as Member of Parliament for the Middleton division of Lancashire, but did not defend the seat at the 1906 general...
was MP for Middleton from 1900–1906, and for Manchester Exchange
Manchester Exchange (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Exchange was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester. 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....
from 1924 - 1935.