Frederick Whitley-Thomson

Sir Frederick Whitley Whitley-Thomson MP (2 September 1851 – 26 May 1924) was a British Liberal Party politician and businessman.

Background

He was the son of Jonathan Thomson, merchant of Glasgow, and Emma Whitley of Halifax. He was educated at Glasgow Academy and Andersonian University, Glasgow. He married Bertha Florence Smith of Halifax in 1888. They had one daughter. In 1914, they received a grant by Royal Licensee to use the surname Whitley-Thomson.

Early career

He was the head of J. Whitley and Sons, card manufacturers of Brunswick Mills, Halifax and a Director of the English Card-clothing Company, Ltd. He served as a Governor of Halifax Technical School. He was Vice-President of Halifax Liberal Association and a member of Halifax Chamber of Commerce.^[1]

Political career

He sat as Liberal MP for Skipton from 1900–06. In 1900, standing for parliament for the first time, he surprisingly gained the seat from the Liberal Unionists;

General Election 1900 Skipton^[2] Electorate 11,665

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Frederick Whitley Thomson	5,139	50.7
	Liberal Unionist	Walter Morrison	5,007	49.3
Majority			132	1.4
Turnout			10,146	87.0
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing

He stood down at the General Election of January 1906. In 1908 he stood as Liberal candidate at the Ross by-election, 1908 in Herefordshire. He was unable to hold this marginal Liberal seat.

Ross by-election, 1908^[3] Electorate 10,486

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Unionist	Percy Archer Clive	4,947	55.7	+7.5
	Liberal	Frederick Whitley Thomson	3,928	44.3	-7.5
Majority			1,019	11.4	15.0
Turnout			8,875	84.6
	Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+7.5

In 1908, he was appointed as an Alderman of Halifax Borough Council and served as the Mayor of Halifax from 1908-11. He was a Justice of the Peace for Halifax.^[4] In January 1910, he stood as the Liberal candidate at Colchester. This was another Liberal seat, but again he failed to hold it.

General Election, January 1910 Colchester^[5] Electorate 7,226

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Laming Worthington Evans	3,717	56.0	+8.6
	Liberal	Frederick Whitley Thomson	2,926	44.0	-8.6
Majority			791	12.0	17.2
Turnout			6,643	91.9
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+8.6

Later life

He did not stand for parliament again.^[6] He was instrumental in raising a fund of £10,000 for the Royal Halifax Infirmary and Halifax District Nursing Association in memory of King Edward VII. He was President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce from 1912–14. He was Chairman of the Finance Committee of Halifax Borough Council from 1913–19. He was Chairman of the Halifax War Refugees Committee, and received from King Albert I of Belgium the Medaille du Roi in recognition of services to Belgian refugees, resident in Halifax and district during the Great War.^[7]

He was knighted in the 1916 Birthday Honours.^[8]

References

1. Debrett's House of Commons 1901.
2. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
3. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
4. http://www.ukwhoswho.com
5. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
6. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.
7. http://www.ukwhoswho.com
8. The London Gazette: no. 29671. p. 7093. 18 July 1916.