Joseph Compton-Rickett

Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett, DL PC (13 February 1847 – 30 July 1919), was a British Liberal Party politician. He was also an industrialist (until 1902), lay preacher, and writer. He wrote poetry and fiction, as well as on such topics as popular philosophy. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Maurice Baxter.[1]

The Right Honourable
Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett
DL
HM Paymaster General
In office
1916–1919
Prime MinisterDavid Lloyd George
Preceded byArthur Henderson
Succeeded byTudor Walters
Member of Parliament
for Scarborough
In office
7 August 1895 – 8 February 1906
Preceded bySir George Sitwell, Bt
Succeeded byWalter Rea
Member of Parliament
for Osgoldcross
In office
8 February 1906 – 25 November 1918
Preceded bySir John Austin, Bt
Succeeded byJohn Stephenson Rowntree
Member of Parliament
for Pontefract
In office
14 December 1918 – 30 July 1919
Preceded byFrederick Handel Booth
Succeeded byWalter Forrest
Personal details
Born
Joseph Rickett

13 February 1847
London, England, UK
Died30 July 1919 (aged 72)
UK
Political partyLiberal Party

Background

He was born in London as Joseph Rickett, the eldest son of Joseph Rickett, of East Hoathly. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Bath. In 1868 he married Catharine Sarah Gamble (1847–1933). They had ten children.[2] There were four sons and four daughters living when he died in 1919.[3] He was knighted on 24 December 1907.[4] He assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Compton in 1908.

In 1911 he was appointed to the Privy Council.[5]

Professional career

He was in business and interested in various commercial undertakings.[2] In 1902, he retired from the chairmanship of several coal trade companies to devote himself to his political career.[5]

Political career
Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett in 1919

He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Scarborough from 1895–1906. He had gained the seat from the Conservatives in 1895 and held it in 1900. He was then Member of Parliament for Osgoldcross from 1906–1918. In 1906 he re-gained the seat that had been Independent Liberal since 1899. He held office in the Coalition Government of David Lloyd George as Paymaster General from 1916 to 1919. In 1917 he served as a Charity Commissioner.[5]

He was Member of Parliament for the Pontefract constituency that largely absorbed Osgoldcross from 1918 until his death aged 72 the following year. For the execution of his will, Sir Joseph's eldest son, Arthur Compton-Rickett, was appointed the public trustee.[3]

Electoral record
General election 1906: Osgoldcross[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Rickett 8,482 66.1
Conservative Granville Wheler 4,358 33.9 n/a
Majority 4,124 32.1
Turnout 12,840
Liberal gain from Independent Liberal Swing
General election January 1910: Osgoldcross [6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Compton-Rickett 9,517 66.3
Conservative Gerald de la Pryme Hargreaves 4,840 33.7
Majority 4,677 32.6
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
General election December 1910: Osgoldcross[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Compton-Rickett 8,518 66.2 -0.1
Conservative Malcolm Campbell-Johnston 4,347 33.8 +0.1
Majority 4,171 32.4 -0.2
Turnout 70.4
Liberal hold Swing -0.1
Pontefract General Election, 1918[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph Compton-Rickett 8,561 62.9
Labour Isaac Burns 5,047 37.1
Majority 3514 25.8
Turnout 45.6
Liberal hold Swing

References
  1. Sutherland, John (13 October 2014). The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction. Routledge. ISBN 9781317863335. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via Google Books.
  2. "Joseph Compton Rickett". Some Scarborough Faces (Past and Present): Being a Series of Interviews. Illustrated with Photographs. 1901. pp. 100–102. (with photo on p. 100)
  3. Hazlehurst, Cameron; Whitehead, Sally; Woodland, Christine, eds. (1996). A Guide to the Papers of British Cabinet Ministers 1900-1964. p. 306. ISBN 9780521587433.
    In 1907 Joseph Compton-Rickett and his wife had five living daughters and four living sons. "Rickett, Joseph Compton". Who's Who: 1484. 1907.
  4. "The London Gazette". Thegazette.co.uk. 24 December 1907. p. 8979. Retrieved 6 May 2017. Issue:28092
  5. 'COMPTON-RICKETT, Rt Hon. Sir Joseph', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press (April 2014)]; accessed 5 May 2017.
  6. British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  7. F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p520
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.