Sydney Walter Robinson
Encyclopedia
Sir Sydney Walter Robinson JP
(1876 – 17 November 1950) was an English farmer
, building contractor and Liberal
politician.
which was then in the county of Essex
, the son of Alfred and Georgina Robinson. He was educated in Walthamstow but then travelled to the USA where he studied at the Metropolitan College in Chicago
. In 1898 he married Gwendolene Edith King.
. His speciality and success was in the breeding of pedigree shorthorn dairy cows but this as much for agricultural shows as for profit. Robinson served as a Justice of the Peace
for the county of Essex. He was also a Freeman of the City of London
.
of the council. He chaired the Public Health
Committee. He was knighted in 1934. He served as a Vice-President of the Home Counties Liberal Federation.
but lost his deposit
in a three-cornered fight with the successful Coalition Conservative
and Labour Party
candidates. He next contested Chelmsford
in Essex at the 1922 general election
coming second to the Conservative
Member of Parliament for the constituency since 1908, E. G. Pretyman, with Labour
in third. He fought Chelmsford again in 1923
this time in a straight fight with Pretyman. The absence of a Labour candidate and recent industrial developments around Chelmsford enhanced Robinson's chances of success and he duly recorded the only success of his Parliamentary career, winning with a majority of 2,692 votes. This was the first time since its creation for the 1885 general election
that Chelmsford had returned a Liberal MP.
the Conservative Party enjoyed a revival of fortune nationally and Robinson could not hold his seat in a three-cornered contest with Tory
and Labour opponents. He came second to the new Conservative candidate Sir Henry Curtis-Bennett
with the Labour man, Major Nils Moller losing his deposit.
and Robinson again won the Liberal nomination. However in another three-cornered fight he again came second to the Conservative candidate.
. He again came second in a three horse race, and although he increased his percentage of the poll, the Conservatives held the seat by a majority of 4,060 votes. In 1930 he announced that he would not contest the Chelmsford Division again and at the general election of 1931
Robinson switched his candidacy to the constituency of Walthamstow West
. In an election held in the atmosphere of the formation of the National Government, despite the fact that his name was added to the Simonite Liberal National
list, and in spite of his statements during the election that he was an ‘out and out supporter’ of the National Government, it was the Conservative rather than Robinson whose candidacy was identified as the most obvious advocate of the government of Ramsay MacDonald
. Robinson found his vote squeezed between the Labour and Conservative parties. Labour retained the seat but the Tories jumped into second place over the Liberals. Robinson did not contest the 1935 general election
but was prevailed upon to fight in 1945
. He switched constituencies to Epping
but, standing as a Liberal, he came a poor third behind the two main parties.
in Essex.
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...
(1876 – 17 November 1950) was an English farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, building contractor and 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 and education
Sydney Robinson was born in 1876 in WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
which was then in the county of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, the son of Alfred and Georgina Robinson. He was educated in Walthamstow but then travelled to the USA where he studied at the Metropolitan College in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In 1898 he married Gwendolene Edith King.
Career
Robinson had business interests as a building contractor and was also a farmer with land near to ChelmsfordChelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. His speciality and success was in the breeding of pedigree shorthorn dairy cows but this as much for agricultural shows as for profit. Robinson served as 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 the county of Essex. He was also a Freeman of the City of London
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
.
Local Politics
In local politics, Robinson was a member of Essex County Council for 30 years and was an AldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the council. He chaired the Public Health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
Committee. He was knighted in 1934. He served as a Vice-President of the Home Counties Liberal Federation.
1918-1923
Robinson stood for Parliament eight times in all. He first contested Essex South East at the 1918 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
but lost his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
in a three-cornered fight with the successful Coalition 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...
and Labour Party
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...
candidates. He next contested Chelmsford
Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency)
Chelmsford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From the 2010 general election it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in Essex 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...
coming second to the 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 of Parliament for the constituency since 1908, E. G. Pretyman, 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...
in third. He fought Chelmsford again in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
this time in a straight fight with Pretyman. The absence of a Labour candidate and recent industrial developments around Chelmsford enhanced Robinson's chances of success and he duly recorded the only success of his Parliamentary career, winning with a majority of 2,692 votes. This was the first time since its creation for the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
that Chelmsford had returned a Liberal MP.
1923-1924
During his time in Parliament Robinson was best known for his introduction of a Bill to include farm workers in the National Unemployed Insurance scheme. During the 1924 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
the Conservative Party enjoyed a revival of fortune nationally and Robinson could not hold his seat in a three-cornered contest with 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...
and Labour opponents. He came second to the new Conservative candidate Sir Henry Curtis-Bennett
Henry Curtis-Bennett
Sir Henry Honywood Curtis-Bennett was an English barrister and Member of Parliament....
with the Labour man, Major Nils Moller losing his deposit.
Chelmsford by-election, 1926
Curtis-Bennett resigned his seat in 1926 for personal reasons in the wake of his marital problems, soon to end in divorce, citing great strain on his health. His resignation caused a by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
and Robinson again won the Liberal nomination. However in another three-cornered fight he again came second to the Conservative candidate.
1929-1945
Robinson tried once more to regain Chelmsford, at the 1929 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. He again came second in a three horse race, and although he increased his percentage of the poll, the Conservatives held the seat by a majority of 4,060 votes. In 1930 he announced that he would not contest the Chelmsford Division again and at the general election of 1931
United 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...
Robinson switched his candidacy to the constituency of Walthamstow West
Walthamstow West (UK Parliament constituency)
Walthamstow West was a borough constituency in what is now the London Borough of Waltham Forest, but was until 1965 the Walthamstow Urban District of Essex...
. In an election held in the atmosphere of the formation of the National Government, despite the fact that his name was added to the Simonite Liberal National
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
list, and in spite of his statements during the election that he was an ‘out and out supporter’ of the National Government, it was the Conservative rather than Robinson whose candidacy was identified as the most obvious advocate of the 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....
. Robinson found his vote squeezed between the Labour and Conservative parties. Labour retained the seat but the Tories jumped into second place over the Liberals. Robinson did not contest the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
but was prevailed upon to fight in 1945
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. He switched constituencies to Epping
Epping (UK Parliament constituency)
Epping was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
but, standing as a Liberal, he came a poor third behind the two main parties.
Death
Robinson died on 17 November 1950 aged 74 years at his home at The Drive, SnaresbrookSnaresbrook
Snaresbrook is an area of north-east London, mostly in the London Borough of Redbridge. A small part falls within the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
in Essex.