William Lunn: Difference between revisions

{{ShortDescription|MP for Rothwell (1918-1942)}}

{{Person

|short description='''William''' “'''Willie'''” '''Lunn''' {{Post-nominals|JP|country=GBR}} (1 November 1872 - 16 May 1942) was the Member of Parliament for Rothwell between 1918 and 1942.

|long description=Prior to his entry into politics, Lunn was a coal miner from the age of 12 and worked in Rothwell Haigh and Middleton Colliery. Lunn was active in the trade union movement during his time as a coal miner and helped found the Rothwell branch of the Independent Labour Party. Lunn also served on the Rothwell Urban District Council; becoming its chairman between 1915 and 1917. After his election victory in the Rothwell constituency, Lunn would go on to hold several roles in goverment during the 1920s and 30s, including Secretary for Overseas Trade, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies and Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs.

|death date=1942-05-16

|occupation=Coal miner, Member of Parliament

|predecessor=''constituency established''

|spouse=Louisa (''née Hall/Hill'') Lunn {{Post-nominals|JP|country=GBR}}

===Early life & coal mining===

William Lunn, or “Willie” as he was known, was born on 1st November 1872 in Rothwell to Thomas Lunn, a miner and trade unionist, and his wife Mary<ref name="Dictionary LB 255">(Bellamy and Saville, 1972, p.255)</ref> {{Original research span|content=(née Jackson).|explanation=The only William Lunn born in the area in 1872 has a mother with the maiden name Jackson. See: ‘William Lunn’ (1872). Transcript of birth certificate for William Lunn, quater 4 1872. Vol 9B, p.332. Hunslet District.}}Lunn was the eldest of eight children<ref name="Dictionary LB 255"/> {{Original research span|content=(his siblings included Jane (b.1876), Harriet (b.1881), James J. (b.1882) and Nelly (b.1895)) and the family lived on Butcher Lane.|explanation=See: {{Cite census|name=William Lunn|year=1891|census type=Census|street=Butcher Lane|place=Leeds|subdistrict=Hunslet|county=Yorkshire [West Riding]|piece number=RG12/3668|folio or other=folio|folio or other number=27|page number=17}} and {{Cite census|name=William Lunn|year=1901|census type=Census|street=Butcher Lane|place=Leeds|subdistrict=Hunslet|county=Yorkshire [West Riding]|piece number=RG13/4199|folio or other=folio|folio or other number=33|page number=24}}}}Lunn attended Rothwell Board School.<ref name="Dictionary LB 255"/>

At the age of twelve, Lunn began working at Rothwell Haigh colliery. When he was sixteen, Lunn was “victimised” for leading a pony drivers strike at the colliery. In November 1889, Lunn moved to Middleton Colliery. Lunn succeeded his father as chairman of the Rothwell miners’ branch of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association when he was nineteen. In 1900, he was elected checkweighman at Middleton Colliery, which he would continue to do until December 1918.<ref name="Dictionary LB 255"/>

===Local politics===

Lunn was a councillor for the Rothwell Urban District Council from 1900.<ref name="Daily Herald">(Daily Herald, 1912)</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1901 RUDC election for South Ward<ref name="RUDC 1901">(Rothwell Times, 1901)</ref>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-radius: inherit;"|

|'''Ben Taylor'''

|'''222'''

|'''61.7'''

|

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|I.L.P

|William Lunn Jr.

|138

|38.3

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|84

|23.4

|

|}

===Member of Parliament===

====Holmfirth====

Lunn unsuccessfully ran for the Holmfirth parliamentary by-election in 1912.<ref>(Rossendale Free Press, 1912)</ref><ref>Dundee Evening Telegraph, 1912)</ref> The Liberal Party were prepared to not contest the seat for a Labour candidate, however they would not do so for Lunn. He was, according to the Labour-affiliated newspaper the Daily Herald, “too much value as a fighting force, too uncompromising in his opposition to capitalist greed, too difficult to be put off with promises instead of solid concessions.”<ref name="Daily Herald"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1912 UK by-election results for Holmfirth<ref name="holmfirth election results">(Craig, 1974, p.437)</ref>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#FFD700 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Liberal'''

|'''S. Arnold'''

|'''4749'''

|'''42.0'''

|

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Unionist

|R. Ellis

|3379

|29.8

|

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Labour

|W. Lunn

|3195

|28.2

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|1370

|12.2

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~11,323

|86.9

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|13,035

|

|

|}

Lunn was described as “the albest of Labour men in the district” by a Leeds newspaper in 1914.<ref>(Skyrack Courier, 1914)</ref> He was considered for the next general election by the Holmfirth constituency Labour Party<ref>(Yorkshire Evening News, 1914)</ref> and was invited to contest the next general election by the Wakefield constituency Labour Party,<ref>(Labour Leader, 1914)</ref> however the election never took place due to the outbreak of the First World War.<ref>(Rubinstein, 2003, p.104)</ref>

====Rothwell====

=====1918 - 1921=====

Lunn was put forward by “the miners” as a nominee for the Labour Party's candidate for Rothwell and, as he was the only nominee, was selected on 19th January 1918.<ref>(Leeds Mercury, 1918)</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px caption="1918 Campaign Flyers" style="font-size: var(--font-size-small);">

File:UK Election Flyer 1918 William Lunn MP Rothwell Sheet1.jpg|alt=1918 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing 14 election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1918 William Lunn MP Rothwell Sheet2.jpg|alt=1918 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing 14 election issues.

</gallery>

At a meeting in Newton Hill Council School, in Stanley, on 25 November 1918, Lunn argued against revolution, arguing that a revolution in the minds of people could prevent further bloodshed; he criticised the timing of the election as it excluded some soldiers from voting; he also criticised the government's treatment of the soldiers in general, citing examples insufficient housing support and allowances for their dependents; he argued for disarmament and the end of conscription; he called for national ownership of mines, railways, and factories for public benefit; and advocated for a Ministry of Health, education grants and more housing. Lunn opposed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_George_ministry Coalition government] and thought that Labour Party M.Ps had no place in it. He described his opponents as "two candidates [...] running after one hare" because the Tory candidate was a Coalition candidate and the Liberal candidate was a supporter of the Coalition government.<ref>(Wakefield Express, 1918)</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1918 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results">(Craig, 1969, p.524)</ref>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''9998'''

|'''46.4'''

|

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Unionist ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_Coupon coaltion])

|H.C.B. Wilson

|6621

|30.8

|

|-

|style="border-left:#FFD700 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Liberal

|J.A. Yonge

|4909

|22.8

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|3377

|15.6

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~21,528

|63.5

|

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|33,899

|

|

|}

=====1922=====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1922 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results"/>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''17,831'''

|'''62.8'''

|'''+16.4'''

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Unionist

|A.N. Braithwaite

|10,580

|37.2

| +6.4

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|7251

|25.6

| +10

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~28,411

|78.4

| +14.9

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|36,227

|

|

|}

=====1923=====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1923 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results"/>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''15,115'''

|'''66.0'''

|'''+3.2'''

|-

|style="border-left:#FFD700 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Liberal

|B.P. Wilson

|7,788

|34.0

|

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|7,327

|32.0

| +6.4

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~22,903

|60.9

| −17.5

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|37,611

|

|

|}

=====1924-28=====

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px caption="1924 Campaign Flyers" style="font-size: var(--font-size-small);">

File:UK Election Flyer 1924 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet1.jpg|alt=October 1924 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1924 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet2.jpg|alt=October 1924 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1924 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet3.jpg|alt=October 1924 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1924 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet4.jpg|alt=October 1924 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, directed at women voters.

</gallery>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1924 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results"/>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''16,540'''

|'''61.8'''

|'''−4.2'''

|-

|style="border-left:#FFD700 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Liberal

|B.P. Wilson

|10,240

|38.2

| +4.2

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|6,300

|23.6

| −8.4

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~26,780

|69.3

| +8.4

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

| 38,635

|

|

|}

=====1929 - 1930=====

<gallery mode=packed heights=200px caption="1929 Campaign Flyers" style="font-size: var(--font-size-small);">

File:UK Election Flyer 1929 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet1.jpg|alt=May 1929 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1929 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet2.jpg|alt=May 1929 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

File:UK Election Flyer 1929 William Lunn MP Rothwell sheet3.jpg|alt=May 1929 Campaign Flyer for William Lunn MP for Rothwell, showing election issues.

</gallery>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1929 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results">(Craig, 1969, p.524)</ref>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''27,320'''

|'''61.7'''

| −0.1

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Unionist

|J.W. Harrison

|8,799

|19.9

|

|-

|style="border-left:#FFD700 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Liberal

|H. Holdsworth

|8,141

|18.4

| −19.8

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|18,521

|41.8

| +18.2

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~44,260

|79.2

| +9.9

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|55,869

|

|

|}

=====1931 - 1934=====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1931 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results"/>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''24,897'''

|'''52.9'''

|'''−8.8'''

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Conservative

|C.H. Stringer

|22,198

|47.1

| +27.2

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|2,699

|5.8

| −36.0

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~47,095

|79.9

| +0.7

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|58,974

|

|

|}

=====1935 - 1942=====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right; margin:auto"

|+ style="text-align:center"|1931 UK general election results for Rothwell<ref name="election results"/>

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-left-radius: inherit;" |'''Party'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);" |'''Candidate'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''Votes'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3);"|'''%'''

!style="background-color: var(--color-surface-3); border-bottom-right-radius: inherit;"|'''±%'''

|-

|style="border-left:#E4003B 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|'''Labour'''

|'''W. Lunn'''

|'''31,472'''

|'''64.5'''

|'''+11.6'''

|-

|style="border-left:#0087DC 10px solid; border-radius: inherit;"|Conservative

|Mrs G. Beaumont

|17,352

|35.5

| −11.6

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2); border-radius: inherit;"| '''Majority'''

|14,120

|29.0

| +23.2

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Turnout'''

|~48,824

|75.4

| −4.5

|- class=sortbottom

!colspan="2" style="text-align:right;background-color: var(--color-surface-2);"| '''Registered electors'''

|64,730

|

|

|}

===Death===

Lunn died on the 16th May 1942, while in office. An obituary in ''The Science and Art of Mining'' described him as “essentially a Rothwell man.”<ref>(The Science and Art of Mining, 1942)</ref>

==Notes==

<references group="n."/>

*Bellamy, J.M. and Saville, J. (eds) (1972) ''Dictionary of Labour Biography''. Vol. II. London: Macmillan.

*Craig, F.W.S. (1969) ''British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949''. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. Available at: http://archive.org/details/britishparliamen0000crai (Accessed: 8 June 2024).

*Craig, F.W.S. (ed.) (1974) British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.

*''Daily Herald'' (1912) ‘Holmfirth’, 17 June, p. 12.

* ''Dundee Evening Telegraph'' (1912) ‘Retrial Of Liberal M.P.’, 5 June, p. 1.

*''Labour Leader'' (1914) ‘Wakefield Labour Candidate’, 26 February, p. 10.

*''Leeds Mercury'' (1918) ‘A Rothwell Miner’, 22 January, p.4.

*Rossendale Free Press (1912) ‘Holmfirth Election’, 22 June, p. 8.

*''Rothwell Times'' (1901) ‘Rothwell District Council Election’, 29 March. Available at: https://archive.org/details/1901rothwelltimescomplete_201910/page/n33/

* Rubinstein, W.D. (2003) ''Twentieth-Century Britain: A Political History''. Macmillan Education UK.

*''Skyrack Courier'' (1914) ‘Nondescript Notes’, 27 February, p. 5.

*''The Science and Art of Mining'' (1942) ‘Obituary’, 30 May, p. 325. Available at: http://www.dmm.org.uk/news19/9420530i.htm (Accessed: 9 June 2024)

*''Wakefield Express'' (1918) ‘Mr. W. Lunn’s Candidature’, 30 November, p. 3.

*''Yorkshire Evening News'' (1914) ‘Labour and Holmfirth’, 19 January, p. 3.

==See also==

==External links==

*William Lunn's contributions to Parliament in [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-lunn/index.html Hansard]

*William Lunn on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lunn_(politician) Wikipedia]

*William Lunn on [https://newwoodlesford.xyz/village-memories/william-lunn-mp/ Woodlesford: The Story of a Station]