36:
447:(at outbreak of which he was 67 years old), his duty was to visit the wounded in the London Military Hospitals. In 1915 the strain of this and his parliamentary duties became too much and he dropped out of public life. It was reported that he had suffered a nervous breakdown, and had to move to a nursing home in London. In reality it was much starker and he had been committed to Northumberland House,
206:, but moved to the town and grew up in a slum called Ratten Row, where his mother died when he was five. He entered a worsted mill at eight which meant that he also had three hours elementary schooling per day. At fourteen he became apprenticed as a clog and patten maker and then trained as a shoe and
304:. Here they wanted him because they were seeing declining numbers as their congregation moved to the suburbs. He had built a reputation as being able to attract members of the working classes to his services. In Manchester he was much involved with Passive Resistance, the movement protesting about the
251:
as the numbers had become so great. They were at time said to have reached 4000 people. He was ordained into the
Methodist New Connexion in 1877. After four years at Ladywood the Methodist New Connexion wanted to send him to London, but a committee was set up to use the redundant Highbury chapel in
226:
Church and in Elland became a local preacher for them. Feeling a call to enter the ministry he worked from four to eight in the morning before opening his shop to reach the required educational level. In 1873 the denomination sent him to
Sheffield as a 'preacher on trial', with responsibility for
463:— the only MP ever disqualified under that Act. Probably this was due to Parliament having already been prolonged and it being impossible to hold a general election while the war persisted. Normally MPs are just allowed to retire quietly at the next election. At the resulting
324:
Over around 30 years he delivery some 500 -600 Sundary afternoon lectures. He also found time to write some 20 books including "Old, Yet Ever New", "Is My Bible True?", "OUR BIBLE - How We Got It", and "Sermons to
Working Men". He also edited a paper called the
272:
The upshot was that he left and went to Queen's Park in London, to a church that was still meeting in a hall. In the next few years he raised all the money and got the proper chapel built. In 1888, Leach, who was living in
Brondesbury Road,
316:
As an adjunct to his work within the temperance movement he was one of the founding directors of the
Abstainers and General Insurance Company and later became its Vice Chairman. After leaving the ministry he became a member of the
308:
and the requirement for ratepayers to support
Anglican and Catholic schools. By 1904 it had all become too much for him and he resigned and took up what he thought would be a less onerous pastorate at Harecourt Chapel, in
285:. Always interested in education he was instrumental in setting up the Queen's Park Institute which used the chapel's school buildings. In 1892 he was elected to Chelsea Vestry. By 1894 he was despairing of the
256:
minister. He ran a very successful chapel for seven years and also became a regular speaker for, and officer in, the
Liberal party. In 1884 he was elected to the Birmingham School Board. However, in 1886, when
297:. In 1894 after the new act, everyone had to be re-elected to the Vestry and he stood under his new colours. This was too much for his chapel and he was forced to resign and withdraw before the poll.
975:
990:
281:. He placed ninth, where there were five seats available. In 1889 he went on a preaching tour to Canada and America where he collected an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from
1000:
995:
970:
455:. He was declared to be suffering from an unsound mind, brain deterioration and loss of memory. This would appear to have some physical cause and may well have been
405:
985:
931:
382:
347:
He had not been so fortunate in his private life, and he lost his two sons, Herbert and Harry, in infancy, and two of his four daughters, Ada and Dora, to
431:
Leach continued to preach occasionally while a Member of
Parliament; he also travelled widely including to the near East, Canada and the United States.
926:
360:
55:
318:
428:, but it was to disappear into the parliamentary timetable. Despite this he was a very active backbencher asking numerous questions of ministers.
459:
caused by small strokes or similar. Some eight months later he was found still to be of unsound mind and his seat was declared vacant under the
1020:
879:
50:
1005:
460:
336:
leading parties to the Holy Land. He was to visit the country some eleven times and the trips were always timed to bring the groups to
906:
247:
In
Birmingham he began his Sunday afternoon lectures which were so popular that after a couple of years he was forced to use the
854:
1015:
1010:
980:
935:
826:
421:
199:
118:
424:. In February 1911 he introduced his private members Trade Union Bill to try to overcome the problems caused by the
214:
near
Halifax he built up a successful boot and shoe business, by 1871 employing three men, one woman and two boys.
386:
368:
294:
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262:
223:
203:
122:
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In 1897 he received a call to go to Cavendish Street where there was a huge chapel just off Oxford Road in
227:
Attercliffe chapel, but meanwhile he attended Ranmoor Theological College in the city. After two years in
394:
175:
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448:
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187:
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as a weak candidate, but one who stood to inherit the strong Colne Valley Liberal vote, and at the
333:
278:
210:. At nineteen he set up in that trade and on the strength of that married Mary Jane Fox. Moving to
90:
871:
364:
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179:
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He made his maiden speech on 11 April 1910 supporting one of the resolutions that led up to the
875:
500:
456:
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351:, both at the age of 24. Only the first born, Elizabeth, and the last, Mabel, survived him.
266:
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274:
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Graham Street and he was invited to be the pastor and hence he became an Independent or
35:
915:
452:
390:
253:
183:
78:
954:
855:
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 5)
348:
464:
444:
417:
290:
830:
301:
236:
868:
Worsted to Westminster: The Extraordinary Life of the Rev Dr Charles Leach MP
377:
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228:
126:
440:
232:
892:
143:
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211:
190:
to be deprived of his seat after being declared of unsound mind.
772:"Woman Suffrage. Members' Protest Against Organized Rowdyism.",
207:
277:, stood as a Progressive candidate in Chelsea division for the
416:, but registered his opposition to the actions of the
393:. The votes were counted and the result declared at
157:
149:
133:
105:
100:
84:
72:
49:
23:
420:. He also supported the Government in passing the
161:Only MP to lose his seat for being of unsound mind
153:Shoemaker, Congregational Minister, and politician
976:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
719:"Worsted to Westminster", pp.29, 56, 145, 171"
498:"The Popular Guide to the House of Commons",
359:In May 1908 Leach was invited to contest the
313:, London. Here he remained until early 1908.
8:
898:contributions in Parliament by Charles Leach
827:"Causes of Byelections since the Reform Act"
332:Not content with that he became a guide for
443:to the Armed Forces, 4th class, during the
371:, he described himself as an "evolutionary
222:In Halifax he had become involved with the
902:
265:which left him in a difficult position in
34:
20:
991:Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers
1001:20th-century Congregationalist ministers
996:19th-century Congregationalist ministers
971:Politicians from Halifax, West Yorkshire
174:(1 March 1847 – 24 November 1919) was a
482:
863:" Vol. II (Harvester Press, 1978)
471:was elected unopposed to succeed him.
7:
986:English Congregationalist ministers
367:candidate. A former member of the
14:
907:Parliament of the United Kingdom
816:"Worsted to Westminster", p.270"
807:"Worsted to Westminster", p.263"
785:"Worsted to Westminster", p.228"
763:"Worsted to Westminster", p.226"
754:"Worsted to Westminster", p.211"
710:"Worsted to Westminster", p.234"
701:"Worsted to Westminster", p.288"
683:"Worsted to Westminster", p.193"
674:"Worsted to Westminster", p.179"
665:"Worsted to Westminster", p.145"
643:"Worsted to Westminster", p.135"
634:"Worsted to Westminster", p.128"
625:"Worsted to Westminster", p.124"
616:"Worsted to Westminster", p.121"
603:"London School Board election",
594:"Worsted to Westminster", p.122"
585:"Worsted to Westminster", p.100"
692:"Worsted to Westminster", p.84"
576:"Worsted to Westminster", p.85"
567:"Worsted to Westminster", p.67"
558:"Worsted to Westminster", p.57"
549:"Worsted to Westminster", p.71"
540:"Worsted to Westminster", p.47"
531:"Worsted to Westminster", p.39"
522:"Worsted to Westminster", p.29"
513:"Worsted to Westminster", p.32"
489:"Worsted to Westminster", p.11"
467:on 25 August 1916, the Liberal
461:Lunacy (Vacating of Seats) Act
261:split the party he sided with
1:
1021:Labour Party (UK) politicians
794:"New Writ for Colne Valley",
741:"Yorkshire County Pollings",
474:Leach died in 1919, aged 72.
383:January 1910 general election
504:Extra, January 1911, p. 173.
186:. He is notable as the only
652:"The Parochial Elections",
422:National Insurance Act 1911
1037:
1006:English military chaplains
412:opponent. Leach supported
319:London Chamber of Commerce
939:
920:
912:
905:
859:M. Stenton and S. Lees, "
728:"Election Intelligence",
361:Colne Valley constituency
165:
96:
61:
45:
33:
861:Who's Who of British MPs
408:, when he only faced a
369:Independent Labour Party
295:Independent Labour Party
404:. He was re-elected in
375:". He was described by
224:Methodist New Connexion
269:dominated Birmingham.
231:, he was sent to the
1016:World War I chaplains
1011:English tax resisters
395:Slaithwaite Town Hall
923:Member of Parliament
355:Member of Parliament
293:'s recently founded
188:Member of Parliament
51:Member of Parliament
943:Frederick Mallalieu
776:, 14 December 1911.
469:Frederick Mallalieu
402:Parliament Act 1911
334:Thomas Cook and Son
279:London School Board
91:Frederick Mallalieu
745:, 20 January 1910.
656:, 7 December 1894.
607:, 3 November 1888.
385:, he defeated the
306:Education Act 1902
259:Joseph Chamberlain
235:mission chapel in
218:Religious training
198:Leach was born in
182:politician in the
16:British politician
949:
948:
940:Succeeded by
880:978-0-9562523-0-2
866:J. B. Williams, "
798:, 18 August 1916.
501:Pall Mall Gazette
457:vascular dementia
243:Professional life
176:Congregationalist
169:
168:
1028:
981:UK MPs 1910–1918
913:Preceded by
903:
843:
842:
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833:on 8 August 2011
829:. Archived from
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426:Osborne judgment
414:women's suffrage
329:for some years.
267:Liberal Unionist
140:
137:24 November 1919
115:
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101:Personal details
87:
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66:
38:
21:
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445:First World War
439:Appointed as a
437:
357:
283:Ohio University
245:
220:
196:
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117:
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85:
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916:Victor Grayson
914:
910:
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901:
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886:External links
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732:, 1 June 1908.
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391:Victor Grayson
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327:Factory Herald
254:Congregational
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184:United Kingdom
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141:(aged 72)
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406:December 1910
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374:
370:
366:
365:Liberal Party
362:
354:
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328:
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314:
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307:
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287:Liberal Party
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180:Liberal Party
178:Minister and
177:
173:
172:Charles Leach
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
145:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
108:
104:
99:
95:
92:
89:
83:
80:
77:
71:
65:
60:
57:
52:
48:
44:
40:Charles Leach
37:
32:
28:Charles Leach
22:
19:
927:Colne Valley
921:
891:
867:
860:
835:. Retrieved
831:the original
821:
812:
803:
795:
790:
781:
773:
768:
759:
750:
742:
737:
729:
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527:
518:
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499:
494:
485:
473:
451:, a private
438:
430:
418:suffragettes
410:Conservative
399:
376:
358:
346:
340:in time for
331:
326:
323:
315:
299:
271:
246:
221:
197:
171:
170:
139:(1919-11-24)
116:1 March 1847
86:Succeeded by
63:
56:Colne Valley
18:
966:1919 deaths
961:1847 births
896:1803–2005:
872:Darcy Press
465:by-election
449:Green Lanes
387:Independent
291:Keir Hardie
289:and joined
200:Illingworth
119:Illingworth
74:Preceded by
955:Categories
849:References
837:27 January
302:Manchester
237:Birmingham
194:Early life
150:Occupation
112:1847-03-01
796:The Times
774:The Times
743:The Times
730:The Times
654:The Times
605:The Times
378:The Times
373:socialist
338:Jerusalem
311:Islington
263:Gladstone
249:Town Hall
229:Sheffield
208:bootmaker
158:Known for
129:, England
127:Yorkshire
68:1910–1916
64:In office
874:, 2009)
441:Chaplain
233:Ladywood
893:Hansard
275:Kilburn
204:Halifax
202:, near
144:England
123:Halifax
878:
342:Easter
212:Elland
25:Rev Dr
478:Notes
363:as a
936:1916
932:1910
925:for
876:ISBN
839:2007
134:Died
106:Born
54:for
870:" (
389:MP
957::
397:.
349:TB
344:.
321:.
239:.
125:,
121:,
934:–
841:.
114:)
110:(
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