Labour Candidates - West London AreaGeneral Election 1922
W.J. Brown - Uxbridge
A. H. Chilton - Ealing
Miss Mary Richardson - Acton
C. Latham - Hendon
G. Latham - Enfield
J.J. Mallow - Watford
J. Clynes (Jnr) Hemel Hempstead
O. Connelian - North Buckinghamshire
S. Stennet South Buckinghamshire
A. H Chilton Labour candidate for Ealing, Lived in Southall, active member of the National Union of Railwaymen, Wesleyian Minister, Labour Middlesex County Councillor. President of Ealing Trades & Labour Council. Candidate for Windsor 1929.
Mr A.H. Chilton was accidentially killed while on duty as station foreman at West Ealing Station (must have been in the early 1930's)
W. J. Brown Labour candidate for Uxbridge General secretary of the Civil Service Association Union, right winger.
Charles Lathan, Labour candidate for Hendon 1922, 1923, and 1924. (changed surname to Lathan to distinguish himself from his brother George Latham) Railway clerk, President of the National Union of Clerks, later Labour leader of the London County Council.
George Latham (older brother of Charles) President of the Railway Clerks Union (TSSA) 1906-1912, Chief Assistant secretary of the Railway Clerks Union 1912-1937. Later Member of Parliament for Sheffield Park.
MARY RICHARDSON - ACTON
Mary Raleigh Richardson (a Canadian by birth circa 1888/89) was a prominent WSPU suffragette, who was in prisoned on a number of occasions. On March 10, 1914 she infamously entered the National Gallery in London and slashed the Rokeby "Venus", in support of votes for Women. For this attack she was sentenced to six months in Holloway Prison. She joined the Labour Party in 1919 and stood for parliament in 1922 in Acton; in 1926 in Bury St Edmunds; in 1931 in Aldershot; and in 1934 in London. She was never elected.
Mary Richardson stood as a Labour Party candidate in Acton in 1922. She did not stand again in 1923 but stood as Independent Labour against the official Labour Party candidate in 1924. Accordinging F.W.S. Craig Election Results Book she 'was the nominee of the Acton Democratic Labour Party which was formed in May 1924 by a number of former Labour Party members who had resigned the previous yuear due to a split in the local Labour Party. The policy of the Democratic Labour Party was left-wing and she received Communist Party support.
Like a small handful of other misguided Labour politicians (including Uxbridge Labour candidate W J Brown) she briefly joined Oswald Mosley's Fascists but left in 1935, after which she took no further part in politics (as did W.J. Brown).
However, When Mary Richardson died in Hastings 7th November 1961 aged 81. The Daily Worker recorded on its front page that "Miss Richardson who was arrested nine times for activities between July 1913 and June1914 in more recent years campaigned for peace and friendship with the Soviet union"
daily worker 8th November 1961
Mary Richardson (prison photo above, right)
NOTE Barry Snell who organised a series of Fabian lecturers in Uxbridge in the early 1920's was elected at Woolwich
1923 General Election
LABOUR CANDIDATES
Robert Small - Uxbridge
Samuel Viant - Willesden West ( Labour Win)
James Patrick Gardner- Hammersmith North (Labour Win)
H.A. Baldwin-Acton
S.Sherman West Ealing
A.H. Chilton Ealing
W. Haywood Brentford & Chiswick
C. S. Cocerill - Spelthorne
William Watson Henderson - Enfield (Labour Win)
Francis Broad - Edmonton (Labour Win)
George Young - South Buckinghamshire
Major A.G. Church DSO - Leyton East (Elected) (ex Spelthorne)
Robert Small
Labour Parliamentary Candiate 1923
Robert Small was selected as Uxbridge Division (including Hayes) Labour Party Parliamentary candidate for the 1923 General election. (other nominations included Dr Sommerville-Hastings and John Beckett of the ILP).
Robert Small was a Scotsman and since the age of twenty had been involved in the Labour Movement.
From 1912 he devoted his energies as a full time worker, becoming the Glasgow and Clyde Workers Union Organiser and Scottish Organiser for the General Federation of Trades Unions. Secretary of Glasgow Labour Party and Scottish Independent Labour Party (ILP) Executive Committee member, member of the ILP's Agricultural Committee, (member 16 years of ILP by 1923). Member of Middlesex Agricultural Concilliation Committee and Middlesex, Hertfordshire & Essex Joint Industrial Council. He was a prominent member of the Agricultral Wages Board.
Later he became the local, London & Southern Counties Workers Union Organiser.It was because of his local negotiations that he had become known, though it was he who had helped lay the foundations for the Labour Party victories on the Clyde at the general Election.
It was stated that he was a personal friend of all the present Glasgow members of Parliament Robert Small had the best wishes of Labour leader Ramasey MacDonald and George Dallas (Dollas) Divisonal Organiser of the Workers Union.
It must have been Robert Small's Workers Union (later TGWU) links at Hayes, as it was stated he "was well known in the consituency" that secured him the nomination as Labour Candiate. He was supported during the election campaign by Miss Saward, Workers Union Women's Organiser and local Workers Union, Hayes Branch Secretary, Labour Councillor Douglas Page.
James Patrick Gardner MP 1883-1937James Patrick Gardner was born in Belfast, Ireland 5th March 1883, educated by Christian Brothers. where he was a supporter of Joseph Devlin MP Nationalist MP for Belfast Falls and later Fermanagh & South Tyrone)
Gardner was eight years Chairman of West London Independent Labour Party (ILP), seven years active in London & South Eastern Divisional Council of the ILP Chairman of Hammersmith North Labour Party (elected in 1920) and local Labour Councillor 1919-1922 and 1928-1937
National Executive member of the Amalgamated Furnishing Trade Association, he was also an accomplished architectural sculptor .
J.P. Gardner was elected MP for Hammersmith North at his second attempt in 1923-1924 and 1926 - 1931
James Patrick Gardner MP 1883-1937 (Hammersmith North) 74c Stanlake Road, london W12
Died 1937
Samuel Philip Viant MP Sam Viant was born in Plymouth in on 5th January 1882,
His mother was Phoebe Viant a shop grocer, his sister was Phoebe jnr,and brothers Daniel, Albert.
Educated at Devonport higher grade school, Plymouth
As a young man Sam Viant started an apprenticeship as a carpenter, but because of family financial difficulties had to withdraw.
In 1901 Samuel Viant was according to the Census, a carpenter living with his family at 22 Exeter Street, Plymouth. Later in that year he moved to London to work as a carpenter.
On his arrival in London Sam a committed " abstainer" became involved in Dr Clifford's Brotherhood movement meetings in Westbourne Park,
He becomes heavily involved in trade union issues and attended Paddington School for Social Science and undertook a Ruskin College, Oxford correspondence courses.
Sam is elected Vice Chairman of Paddington Trades Council Member and joins the Independent Labour Party (ILP), standing unsuccessfully in 1908 for paddington Council (with the support of his hero Kier Hardie).
Viant as also active in the Co-operative movement during this period.
He moves to Willesden and in 1918 unsuccessfully contests a seat on Willesden Council and the newly created parliamentary seat of Willesden West, at the 1918 General Election.
In 1919, his hard work is rewarded and he is elected to Willesden Council and becomes the pioneering Chairman of the Works Committee, Justice of the Peace (1928-1949).
Finally, Sam Viant is elected as Member of Parliament for Willesden West on 6th December 1923. Accordingly, he became a member of the first Labour Government and the first Labour MP in West Middlesex. (James Patrick Gardner elected at same election for Hammersmith North)
In 1929 Sam Viant as appointed Assistant Post Master General, until the Labour Government fell in 1931 due to the Ramsay MacDonald debacle and Viant lost his parliamentary seat at the subsequent election.
He won back the Seat in 1935 and held it until he retired at the 1959 General Election.
In later life, Sam Viant took to wearing a white and blue striped waistcoat, with buttons each bearing a tiny coloured portrait of Labour leader Kier Hardie.
Sam Viant was a National Executive member (General councilman) of the Carpenters & Joiners Union Executive Committee.
He was Member of Parliament for Willesden until 1959 when Laurence "Larry" Pavitt became Labour MP for Willesden.
In 1960 Sam Viant was elected Mayor of Willesden.
94 Doyle gardens, NW10
Sam Viant died on the 19th May 1964, aged 81
Len Snow former Mayor of Brent recalls " He was a pleasant, quiet man, with a bristly moustache, who persuaded us rather than bludgeoned us with his political views". Francis A Broad MP - Edmonton Born 1874. He left school aged just thirteen, but had beeen working in a grcery shop from the age of ten, after leaving school he worked in a drappers shop, then aged sixteen started work as a scientific instrument maker. Aged 19 he joined the Independent Labour Party and aged 21 was President of his local union branch of the Scientific Instrument Makers Society union, later a National Executive Committee member and President. The union was absorbeded into the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU). Member of the London Co-operative Society for twenty years and an executive member of the National Housing Association. He was also a member of the Union of Democratic Control. Leader of the allotment movement in Edmonton
Archibald George Church MP - Leyton East
Born 1886, his father was a compositor and Executive member of The London Society of Compositors Union, his mother was a school teacher. He attended University of London. He taught for five years in East London schools. Lecturer at St George's college, Kingsway. 1914 elelcted President of the National Union of Teachers (NUT). Joined the Royal Flying Corps, recievied the DSO on the Western front in WW1 and won the goodwill of every man of the 238th siege Battery "You were always championing the bottom dog" said a sergent who served under him. First General secretary of the National Union of Scientific Workers Union.William Watson Henderson MP - Enfield
Born 8th August 1891, second son of Arthur Henderson and elder brother of Arthur Henderson. From 1912-1914 he was editorial secretary of the Daily Citizen, joined the army. Edited the Labour Magazine and the Labour Press Service and was assistant editor of the " Brotherhood Outlook". Press officer for the Labour Party then based at 33 Eccleston Square, London. Member of the National Union of Journaluistst. The death of his brother, Captain David Henderson, killed in the Battle of the Somme, left him the eldest surviving son of the Rt Hon Arthur Henderson MP for Barnard Castle/Clay Cross who was born In Glasgow in 1863 .
Member of Parliamnet for Enfield 1923 to 1924 and from 1929 to 1931
NOTE 1923
Frederick Charles Watkins (24th February 1883 - 31th January 1954) Labour candidate for Mid Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury) first Labour candidate for Mid Buckinghamshire, worked at Railway Clearing House, London. Chair of the Railway Clerks Union (now TSSA) branch and National Executive Committee Member. (Later MP for Hackney Central 1929)
NOTE 1923
Harry Gosling ex Uxbridge Labour candidate elected at Whitechapel and Ben Smith ex Uxbridge Labour Middlesex County Councillor elected MP for Rotherhithe
NOTE RE LABOUR IN ACTON
The first Acton Labour Member of Parliamnet
James Frederick Shillaker (1870-1943)
Member of Parliament for Acton 1929-1931
Acton Labour Councillor 1919-1923
Editor of TP's Weekly for 14 years
NUJ member
born 28th January 1870 in the City of London
died 20th July 1943
Shillaker, James Frederick The son of a policeman, Shillaker claimed that at the age of 16 he had written a leaflet which secured a wage increase for the City of London police. One of the founders of the Fawcett Association., a union of post office sorters established in 1890. In 1892, joined the Islington Labour party and afterwards served on Acton Council. Assistant editor, T.P.’s Weekly, 1903–17. Deputy Regional Director, Northern Region, Ministry of Pensions, 1919–23. Labour MP for Acton, 1929–1931.
211 Powder Mill Lane, Twickenham
