Samuel Ridley
Samuel Forde Ridley (1864 – 17 November 1944)[1] was a British industrialist and Conservative Party politician.
He was son of Samuel Edwin Ridley of St Helens, Isle of Wight and his wife Nona Jackson Kent. After education at Clifton College[2] he entered the family firm of Ridley, Whitley and Company, linoleum manufacturers.[3]
He first entered politics in 1895, when he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Conservative-backed Moderate Party in the London County Council elections of that year.[3] In September 1900 he was selected as Conservative and Unionist candidate to contest the parliamentary seat of Bethnal Green South West, held by the prominent Liberal MP, Edward Pickersgill.[4] Ridley's pro war stance saw him unexpectedly take the seat from Pickersgill at the general election of that year.[3] Six years later there was a swing to the Liberals and they regained the Bethnal Green seat. In 1907 the local Conservative association chose a different candidate to contest the constituency at the next general election, with Ridley being rejected due to his views on tariff reform.[5] He was instead chosen to contest the Kent borough of Rochester.[6] He was able to unseat the sitting Liberal MP when an election was held in January 1910, but was himself defeated when a further election was held in December of the same year.[7] In the following year he indicated that he would not contest the seat again.[8]
He died at "Pantiles", Budleigh Salterton, Devon in November 1944.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
- ^ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p82: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
- ^ a b c "Biographies of New Members". The Times. 13 October 1900. p. 8.
- ^ "Election Intelligence". The Times. 5 September 1900. p. 8.
- ^ "Election Intelligence". The Times. 23 September 1907. p. 6.
- ^ "The Political Situation. Party Prospects-Xi, The Home Counties". The Times. 8 January 1910. p. 8.
- ^ "Progress Of The General Election". The Times. 5 December 1910. p. 9.
- ^ "Rochester". The Times. 20 February 1911. p. 10.
- ^ "Deaths". The Times. 18 November 1944. p. 1.