James Watson (MP)

James Watson (1817 – 5 July 1895)[1] was an English merchant, dairy herdsman and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.

For other people named James Watson, see James Watson (disambiguation).

Watson was born at Birmingham the son of James Watson, of Edgbaston and his wife Mary Spreadborough. Watson was a cheesemonger in Birmingham.[2] In 1875, he purchased Berwick House near Shrewsbury and moved in four years later after extensive reconstruction. There he established one of the first herds of Jersey cows in England.[3] He became a J.P. for the counties of Staffordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.[4] He served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in Shrewsbury in 1886.[5]

At the 1885 general election Watson was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shrewsbury and held the seat until he stood down at the 1892 election.[6]

Watson died at the age of 78.

Watson married Jane Willan in 1856 and they had a daughter Florence.

References
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)
  2. Lawrence Stone, A. L. Beier, David Cannadine, James M. Rosenheim The First modern society 1989
  3. Some old Jersey Herds Worldwide
  4. Debretts Guide to the House of Commons 1886
  5. Keeling-Roberts, Margaret (1981). In Retrospect, A Short History of the Royal Salop Infirmary. North Shropshire Printing Company. p. xiii. ISBN 0-9507849-0-7.
  6. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 188. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.


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