Romford UDC

[ColinJ]

Mar 15, 2015 21:13:53 GMT finsobruce said:

April 5th 1921

Central ward
Jones, Charles Henry Reginald (422)*
Perry, Francis Clifford (123)*
Philpot, Stephen (Labour)240*
 

Who were the winners here?

[finsobruce]

oops sorry. Mr Perry duly demoted. Deputy returning officer duly sacked.

[finsobruce]

24th June 1922 by-election

North ward
Hole, Herbert Walter - unopposed

This by election caused by the death in April of Cllr Dowsing who was (another)builder and Congregationalist. Aged 70, he was the oldest member of the UDC and had been its first chairman. 

[ColinJ]

Mar 15, 2015 21:39:30 GMT finsobruce said:

oops sorry. Mr Perry duly demoted. Deputy returning officer duly sacked.

Thanks for the clarification . So, Central ward now has two Labour councillors, or did James Smith only serve for one year?

[finsobruce]

27th March 1923

Central ward
Smith, James Charles - unopposed

Collier Row ward
Dexter, Arthur Herbert - unopposed

Harold Wood ward
Fasey, George Thomas (188)
Layton, Edward Stacey (394)*

North ward
Rudkin, Leonard Noel - unopposed

South ward
Gray, Arthur Wilmott (452)*
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) 426
Seaman, James Utting 228

[finsobruce]

Mar 15, 2015 21:27:38 GMT finsobruce said:

4th April 1922

Central ward
Clarke, George Hector (335)
Rich, George James (436)*

North ward
Button, George Edward (361)
Peake, Lewis George (700)*

South ward
Goulder, William Frederick (347)*
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) 337
Selby, Leslie (147)

In some other areas of Essex the Chelmsford Chronicle notes that candidates were put up as nominees of the Women's Institute. Which is interesting. 

[East Anglian Lefty]

Prior to the Second World War, Cambridge elected several councillors under the banner of the Women's Constitutional Alliance. Interestingly in every case the Conservatives seem to have stood down on their behalf.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

There was clearly a plan in the 1918 election to have Christabel Pankhurst become the first woman MP. She stood as the candidate of the Women's Party in Smethwick, and was given unofficial Coalition endorsement (no Conservative or Liberal stood). But Labour had strong support among the unions representing the iron foundries, and the candidate was an official of the iron founders union. There were not many women eligible under the 1918 Act's terms in Smethwick, so Pankhurst lost to Labour.

[finsobruce]

Before we move on to 1924 i should report the story of the Labour agent for Romford Sidney Wilkins Newnham who in December 1923 disappeared on his way to the Labour office in Barking. His attache case was found in Bethnal Green and he turned up a week later in Marylebone having sent a telegram: "Sorry for trouble. All well at present. Tell my People. Newnham". He eventually came home on the 21st of December having apparently suffered a breakdown under the strain of election work.

[finsobruce]

29th October 1923

Collier Row ward
Legg, Ernest James (126)
Smith, George Henry (Labour) 151*

South ward
Hesford, Arthur (421)
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) 438*

Two by elections both won by Labour. Lindsell was successful after four previous attempts.

[finsobruce]

8th April 1924

Central ward
Allen, Charles Henry (Independent)440*
Gill, George James Charles (Independent) 189
Jones, Charles Henry Reginald (Labour)270
Spooner, John Calder (Independent) 185
Stoakley, Albert Victor (Labour) 198
Woodcock, Harold Charles (Independent) 532*

Collier Row ward
England, Thomas (Independent) 250*
Perry, Francis Clifford (Labour) 149

Harold Wood ward
Cooper, Thomas Haydon (Independent) 438*
Hudson, Harry (Labour) 239

North ward
Button, George Edward (Labour) 390
Dulley, Francis John (Independent) 301
Everard, Frank Joseph (Labour)287
Hole, Herbert Walker (Independent) 566*
Reeve William (Independent) 441*

South ward
Clarke, George Hector (Labour) 394
Crowe, Joseph John (no description) 524*
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) 504*
Macpherson, Thomas (Independent) 840*
Ward, Stanley William (Labour) 384

The Chelmsford Chronicle noted that "Labour made a determined fight". The descriptions may well be those of the paper and the fact that Cllr Crowe wasn't described as an Independent is probably just a printing error. If would look here that "party" politics and fierce contests are here to stay.

[finsobruce]

7th April 1925

Central ward
Rich, George James 331*
Rudge, Arthur Charles 95

North ward
Peake, Lewis George - unopposed

South ward
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) - unopposed

But not so. No exciting contests, no stories no party labels.

[finsobruce]

30th March 1926

Central ward
Foster, Margaret Mitchell (Labour) 256
Hunnable, William (355)*
Poel, John Basil (503)*

Collier Row ward
Plummer, Fred - unopposed

Harold Wood ward
Boston, William Thomas (450)*
Ward, Arthur (44)

North ward
Baskerville, Stanley (618)*
Rudkin, Leonard Noel (424)

[finsobruce]

The eagle eyed will have noticed the appearance of the first woman candidate, Labour's Mrs Margaret Mitchell Foster who vowed to "have another try next year".

The surprise was the defeat of the council chair Cllr Rudkin, who took it in good part/through gritted teeth said that the "electorate obviously thought he needed a rest".

The wonderfully named Mr Strangleman appears, but soon will appear an even better named candidate. A member of the notable political clan the Poels re-appears on the scene.

[finsobruce]

7th (?) April 1927

Central ward
Allen, Charles Henry (Independent) 528*
Foster, Margaret Mitchell (Labour) 337
Hunnable, William (Independent) 525*

Collier Row ward
England, Thomas - unopposed

Harold Wood ward
Metcalf, John (Ratepayers)283*
Ward, Arthur (Independent)25

North ward
Hole, Herbert Walter - unopposed
Reeve, William - unopposed

South ward
Crowe, Joseph John (Independent)515*
Nichols, William Joseph Ambridge (Independent)545*
Strangleman , Arthur (Labour) 331

Cllr Macpherson did not stand again in South ward. At the council meeting on the 22nd of April it was announced that Cllr Peake had had his appendix out, Cllr Crowe had lost his father and Cllr Baskerville's brief council career was ended by resignation. It was noted that this left two vacancies in North ward and by elections should take place on May 30th. Mr Dulley who had contested the ward in 1924 thought about standing and then thought better of it. 

[finsobruce]

30th May 1927 by elections

North ward
Archer, Mr W E (662)*
Ellingworth, (803)*
Foster, Mrs Margaret Mitchell (Labour) 328
Fox, Mr John (Labour) 276



should have made this part of the prediction competition!

[finsobruce]

3rd April 1928

Central ward
Rich, George James - unopposed

North ward
Archer, William Edward - unopposed

South ward
Durrant, Charles William (427)*
Lindsell, Frank (Labour) 355

Thus Labour loses its only seat on the council.

[finsobruce]

30th October 1928 by election

Central ward
Waterson, Harold John (775)*
Wood, Alfred Daniel (344)

The by election had been caused by the death of Cllr Hunnable who had been on holiday in Teignmouth when taken ill. The service was at the Congregational church. In his will he left £1,000 for the almhouses and poor people of Romford, £2 a week to his housekeeper Mrs Hird and £50 to Betsy Knight...

[finsobruce]

26th March 1929

Central ward
Bingham, William John James (Labour) 213
Poel, John Basil (manager and director) 497*

Collier Row ward
Plummer, Fred (builder) 109
Rea, George Alfred (Ratepayer's Association) 204* - solicitor's manager

Harold Wood ward
Boston, William Thomas - unopposed

North ward
Ellingworth, Daniel Stansbie (Farmer) 644*
Everard, Frank Joseph (Labour) 267 - Retired police sergeant

South ward
Gray, Arthur Wilmott (360)*
Stoakley, Albert Victor (Labour)307

The Chelmsford Chronicle had some confusion about Mr Rea who they described as Labour when the nominations came out, but Ratepayers Association when the result came out. I'm inclined to think it's the latter. The local Conservative association continues to meet every year but without a mention of anyone we are interested in, which is pretty poor form if you ask me.  We'll have to make do with the fact that Mr Plummer was a builder. Interesting that a farmer turns up at this point in time. The Conservatives go into collective shock at losing the Romford constituency to Labour's H T Muggeridge (Malcom's dad)in the general election . This seems like an odd result given Labour's lack of representation in Romford, but is easily explained by Barking and Dagenham being in the seat at the time. 

[finsobruce]

8th April 1930

Central ward
Allen, Charles Henry (535)*
Bissmire, Albert Sydney (400)
Ellis, Joseph William (Labour) 412
Minns, Mabel (Ratepayers) 121
Waterson, Harold John (Ratepayers)607*

Collier Row ward
Boulter, James William (Labour)35
Dutch, George Frederick (Labour) 215
England, Thomas 371*
Kitteridge, William Henry (Ratepayers)258


Harold Wood ward
Metcalf, John - unopposed

North ward
Day, William Lewis (Labour) 294
Hole, Herbert Walter 810*
Reeve, William 659*
Smart, Lewin (Ratepayers) 434
Westoby, George Henry (Labour) 323

South ward
Crowe, Joseph John (Labour) 377
Dunball, George Alfred 216
Fruitnight, Arnold Ernest (Labour) 185
Nichols, William Joseph Ambridge 403*
Rogers, Harold Arthur 204
Tansley, Sidney George 205

 Suddenly more candidates and contests. At last the intruigingly named Mr Fruitnight appears for the first time. No idea why Mr Boulter should get such a derisory vote. It might be 135 of course, but the records and the newspaper both say 35.