William Pearce (Liberal politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Pearce was an English chemical manufacturer and Liberal Party
politician in the East End of London
, in England. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Limehouse constituency
from 1906 to 1922.
, the son of William Pearce, a chemical manufacturer based in East London. He was educated at the Royal College of Chemistry
and School of Mines
and at the Royal College of Science
in South Kensington
. In 1885 he married Ethel Alexandra, the daughter of Edwin Neame from Selling, Kent
. They had four daughters.
. He later became a Vice-President of the Federation of British Industries
and was a Fellow of the Chemical Society
. He also served as the first Treasurer of the Association of British Chemical Manufacturers which was established in October 1916 to encourage cooperation in the industry in the face of effective coordination of the sector by wartime Germany. He was later elected a member of the Council of the London Chamber of Commerce
.
at the elections of 1876 and served on the School Board for many years. In 1892 he was adopted as Progressive
candidate for the London County Council
(LCC) elections in the Tower Hamlets (Limehouse) division. He won his seat, topping the poll, gaining more votes than the sitting Progressive Party member, Arthur Leon. He represented Limehouse until 1901 during which time he sat on the Technical Education Board (1895–99). He was also a chairman of the Main Drainage Committee.
at the 1900 general election
for Limehouse
the same division as he represented at LCC level. While he gained 41% of the votes, he was unable to unseat the sitting Unionist
MP, Harry Samuel, losing by 538 votes.
He stood again in Limehouse at the 1906 general election
. This was the year of the Liberal landslide and Pearce gained the seat from Samuel in another straight fight by a majority of 974 votes. In the general elections of January and December 1910 Pearce retained his seat, each time by the same majority, 431 votes.
At the next general election in 1918
, Pearce was in receipt of the Coalition Coupon
and was therefore not opposed by the Unionists who were supporters of the Coalition government
of David Lloyd George
. He did face Labour Party
and National Party
opposition but won comfortably by a majority of 3,390 and 60% of the poll.
In 1922
Pearce fought as a National Liberal
, i.e. a continuing supporter of the Lloyd George wing of the Liberal Party. However he tried to keep the vexed question of Liberal Party internal politics out of the campaign. In the East End he said, it was less a matter of party politics than but how to recover commercial and industrial prosperity. He did however concede he was against 'Soviet style experiments'. At this election he as opposed in Limehouse by the Labour Party whose candidate was future Prime Minister
Clement Attlee
. Attlee insisted the real issue was Capital against Labour, a system based on exploitation or cooperative Commonwealth. In a straight fight Attlee gained the seat with a majority of 1,899 votes. Attlee held the seat until 1950
when it was abolished in boundary changes.
Pearce, who by now almost 70 years old, did not stand at any further parliamentary elections.
. At the time of Pearce’s appointment the committee was charged with investigating the possibility of substituting the metric
and decimal
systems for the existing systems of weights and coinage and currency
. He also served on a committee advising the Minister of Reconstruction
Dr Addison
on the procedure which should be adopted for dealing with the chemical trades after the war.
. Its remit was to inquire into the practicability of a tax on wartime increases in wealth and it heard evidence into 1920. Despite Pearce’s chairmanship being praised for its tact and ability, the committee was deadlocked and could not agree what the level of taxation should be - if any. It continued to meet but its members only seemed able to agree that any worthwhile levy on war profits was not practical politics. Eventually a compromise position was reached which was endorsed by all the members of the committee and a report, drafted by Pearce, was adopted unanimously. The committee did not recommend a war profits levy, merely advising that a levy could be imposed with the support of the government and Parliament but it did recommend that if the tax were levied it should be at the most modest level put before the committee by the Board of Inland Revenue
affecting no more than 75,000 taxpayers. This scheme was reckoned to bring in about £500 million pounds for the government. However there was strong opposition in the business community and this was reflected in Cabinet
discussions. Eventually it was decided not to introduce the scheme but simply to stick to the existing excess profits duties.
for use in domestic gas
supply.
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 in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, in England. He was 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,...
(MP) for Limehouse constituency
Limehouse (UK Parliament constituency)
Limehouse was a borough constituency centred on the Limehouse district of the East End of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
from 1906 to 1922.
Family and education
Pearce was born in Poplar, LondonPoplar, London
Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
, the son of William Pearce, a chemical manufacturer based in East London. He was educated at the Royal College of Chemistry
Royal College of Chemistry
The Royal College of Chemistry was a college originally based on Oxford Street in central London, England. It operated between 1845 and 1872....
and School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
and at the Royal College of Science
Royal College of Science
The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Alumni include H. G. Wells and Brian May and are distinguishable by the letters ARCS ...
in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
. In 1885 he married Ethel Alexandra, the daughter of Edwin Neame from Selling, Kent
Selling, Kent
Selling is a village and civil parish south of Faversham in southeast England. The population is roughly 500.-Primary school:In Selling is a small primary school, Selling C of E Primary School for years 1-6 .-Railway stations:...
. They had four daughters.
Career
Pearce followed his father into the chemical trade. He became a director of Spencer, Chapman & Messel, Ltd which was located in SilvertownSilvertown
Silvertown is an industrialised district on the north bank of the Thames in the London Borough of Newham. It was named after Samuel Winkworth Silver's former rubber factory which opened in 1852, and is now dominated by the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery and the John Knight ABP animal rendering...
. He later became a Vice-President of the Federation of British Industries
Federation of British Industries
The Federation of British Industries was founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916. It was composed of 124 firms which all gave £1,000 for its foundation. The FBI never took part in labour relations but progressively involved in tariff reform...
and was a Fellow of the Chemical Society
Chemical Society
The Chemical Society was formed in 1841 as a result of increased interest in scientific matters....
. He also served as the first Treasurer of the Association of British Chemical Manufacturers which was established in October 1916 to encourage cooperation in the industry in the face of effective coordination of the sector by wartime Germany. He was later elected a member of the Council of the London Chamber of Commerce
London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry was established on 25 July 1881 at Mansion House in the City of London with 130 members. The London Chamber represented the London Metropolis and not just the City of London. Many of the original 130 members still play a role in London Chamber today...
.
Local politics
Pearce entered politics through local service. He was first elected as a member of the Tower Hamlets School BoardSchool board (England & Wales)
School boards were public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary schools.School boards were created in boroughs and parishes under the Elementary Education Act 1870 following campaigning by George Dixon, Joseph Chamberlain and the National...
at the elections of 1876 and served on the School Board for many years. In 1892 he was adopted as Progressive
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
candidate for the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(LCC) elections in the Tower Hamlets (Limehouse) division. He won his seat, topping the poll, gaining more votes than the sitting Progressive Party member, Arthur Leon. He represented Limehouse until 1901 during which time he sat on the Technical Education Board (1895–99). He was also a chairman of the Main Drainage Committee.
Parliament
Pearce first stood for ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
at the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
for Limehouse
Limehouse (UK Parliament constituency)
Limehouse was a borough constituency centred on the Limehouse district of the East End of London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
the same division as he represented at LCC level. While he gained 41% of the votes, he was unable to unseat the sitting Unionist
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, Harry Samuel, losing by 538 votes.
He stood again in Limehouse at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. This was the year of the Liberal landslide and Pearce gained the seat from Samuel in another straight fight by a majority of 974 votes. In the general elections of January and December 1910 Pearce retained his seat, each time by the same majority, 431 votes.
At the next general election in 1918
United 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...
, Pearce was in receipt of the Coalition Coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
and was therefore not opposed by the Unionists who were supporters of the Coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. He did face 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...
and National Party
National Party (UK, 1917)
The National Party was a short-lived British political party created in August 1917 as a right-wing split from the Conservative Party.-Formation:...
opposition but won comfortably by a majority of 3,390 and 60% of the poll.
In 1922
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...
Pearce fought as a 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:...
, i.e. a continuing supporter of the Lloyd George wing of the Liberal Party. However he tried to keep the vexed question of Liberal Party internal politics out of the campaign. In the East End he said, it was less a matter of party politics than but how to recover commercial and industrial prosperity. He did however concede he was against 'Soviet style experiments'. At this election he as opposed in Limehouse by the Labour Party whose candidate was future Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
. Attlee insisted the real issue was Capital against Labour, a system based on exploitation or cooperative Commonwealth. In a straight fight Attlee gained the seat with a majority of 1,899 votes. Attlee held the seat until 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
when it was abolished in boundary changes.
Pearce, who by now almost 70 years old, did not stand at any further parliamentary elections.
Other appointments and honours
Pearce received a knighthood in the King’s birthday honours list of 1915. During the Great War he was appointed to sit on the Committee for After-War Trade chaired by Lord BalfourArthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
. At the time of Pearce’s appointment the committee was charged with investigating the possibility of substituting the metric
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
and decimal
Decimalisation
Decimal currency is the term used to describe any currency that is based on one basic unit of currency and a sub-unit which is a power of 10, most commonly 100....
systems for the existing systems of weights and coinage and currency
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
. He also served on a committee advising the Minister of Reconstruction
Minister of Reconstruction
The Minister of Reconstruction was a British government post that briefly existed during the latter stages of the Second World War, charged with planning for the post-war period...
Dr Addison
Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison
Sir Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison KG, PC was a British medical doctor and politician. By turns a liberal and a socialist, he served as Minister of Munitions during the first World War, and was later Minister of Health under David Lloyd George and Leader of the House of Lords under...
on the procedure which should be adopted for dealing with the chemical trades after the war.
War Profits committee
In 1919 Pearce was appointed to chair the Select Committee of the House of Commons on War ProfitsWar profiteering
A war profiteer is any person or organization that profits from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war. The term has strong negative connotations. General profiteering may also occur in peace time.-International arms dealers:...
. Its remit was to inquire into the practicability of a tax on wartime increases in wealth and it heard evidence into 1920. Despite Pearce’s chairmanship being praised for its tact and ability, the committee was deadlocked and could not agree what the level of taxation should be - if any. It continued to meet but its members only seemed able to agree that any worthwhile levy on war profits was not practical politics. Eventually a compromise position was reached which was endorsed by all the members of the committee and a report, drafted by Pearce, was adopted unanimously. The committee did not recommend a war profits levy, merely advising that a levy could be imposed with the support of the government and Parliament but it did recommend that if the tax were levied it should be at the most modest level put before the committee by the Board of Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
affecting no more than 75,000 taxpayers. This scheme was reckoned to bring in about £500 million pounds for the government. However there was strong opposition in the business community and this was reflected in Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
discussions. Eventually it was decided not to introduce the scheme but simply to stick to the existing excess profits duties.
Other Parliamentary work
In addition to his war profits responsibility, Pearce was asked to chair committees dealing with housing, the funding of hospitals and the relief of unemployment. He also served on a committee appointed under the Gas Regulation Act, 1920 to decide the appropriate level of carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
for use in domestic gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
supply.