Primitive Methodist MPs, 1874-1932

George Edwards
Gressenhall Farm and Museum

Although there are queries regarding some of the individuals listed below, making it difficult to give precise figures, it is noticeable that the majority, approximately  55%, were coal miners or had worked in collieries in other capacities; a third were from Durham or Northumberland.  About 75% worked as union officials or elected representatives at some stage of their career and over 78% had served the Connexion as local preachers or officials.  At least 68% had been local councillors or aldermen; many of these, such as John Johnson, were mayors or, like Ben Spoor, leaders of their councils.

The list, which can be downloaded below, includes Joseph Arch, Joseph Batey, James Blindell, Thomas Burt, John Cairns, Thomas Cape, William Carter, Thomas W Casey, William Crawford, George Doughty, Enoch Edwards, George Edwards, Thomas Davis Fenby, Charles Fenwick, Samuel Finney, Joseph Gibbins, Vernon Hartshorn, William Edwin Harvey, James Haslam, Alfred Hill, Frank Hodges, John Johnson, Barnet Kenyon, Frederick Caesar Linfield, William Lunn, Horace Rendall Mansfield, William Thomas Mansfield, William McKeag, Levi Lapper Morse, William Ewart Gladstone Morse, James John Hanley Moses, William Parrott, Arthur Richardson, Thomas Richardson, David Shackleton, George William Shield, Charles James Simmons, Benjamin Charles Spoor, Albert Stanley, Charles Starmer, John Wilkinson Taylor, Alfred Edward Waterson, John Wilson, Walter Womersley .

A copy of the PhD thesis, to which this biographical listing is an appendix, is available in the Library at Englesea Brook Museum.

Downloads

The social, occupational, and denominational background of the MPs.

Comments about this page

  • The biographical listing has been revised and updated.

    By Jill Barber (05/04/2017)
  • Lovely stuff:-) Thomas Richardson was my great uncle, WP was my grandfather.  Both are in the Dictionary of Labour biography and scheduled to be in the Dictionary of National biography.  You mention Tom Cape, his younger brother John was a great-uncle on my mother’s side.  He was agent for Joe Batey.

    By Bill Richardson (01/01/2015)

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