William Lunn

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William “Willie” Lunn JP (1 November 1872 - 16 May 1942) was the Member of Parliament for Rothwell between 1918 and 1942.

William Lunn

William Lunn in 1923.

About

Born:

1 November 1872
Rothwell

Died:

16 May 1942 (69)
Leeds General Infirmary

Resting place:

Rothwell Cemetery

Other names:

Willie

Life

Occupation(s):

Coal miner
Member of Parliament

Era:

20th century

Title:

Member of Parliament for Rothwell

Term:

1918 - 1942

Predecessor:	Successor:
constituency established	T.J. Brookes

Political party:

Labour Party

Family

Spouse(s):

Louisa (née Hall/Hill) Lunn

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.

Biography

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^[1] (née Jackson).^{[Original research]}^{[n. 1]} Lunn was the eldest of eight children^[1] (his siblings included Jane (b.1876), Harriet (b.1881), James J. (b.1882) and Nelly (b.1895)) and the family lived on Butcher Lane.^{[Original research]}^{[n. 2]} Lunn attended Rothwell Board School.^[1]

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.^[1]

Member of Parliament

1918 - 1921

1918 Campaign Flyer (1)
1918 Campaign Flyer (2)

1918 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Labour	W. Lunn	9998	46.4
Unionist (coaltion)	H.C.B. Wilson	6621	30.8
Liberal	J.A. Yonge	4909	22.8
Majority		3377	15.6
Turnout		~21,528	63.5
Registered electors		33,899

1922

1922 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	17,831	62.8	+16.4
Unionist	A.N. Braithwaite	10,580	37.2	+6.4
Majority		7251	25.6	+10
Turnout		~28,411	78.4	+14.9
Registered electors		36,227

1923

1923 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	15,115	66.0	+3.2
Liberal	B.P. Wilson	7,788	34.0
Majority		7,327	32.0	+6.4
Turnout		~22,903	60.9	−17.5
Registered electors		37,611

1924-28

1924 Campaign Flyer (1)
1924 Campaign Flyer (2)
1924 Campaign Flyer (3)
1924 Campaign Flyer 'A Word to the Women'

1924 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	16,540	61.8	−4.2
Liberal	B.P. Wilson	10,240	38.2	+4.2
Majority		6,300	23.6	−8.4
Turnout		~26,780	69.3	+8.4
Registered electors		38,635

1929 - 1930

1929 Campaign Flyer (1)
1929 Campaign Flyer (3)
1929 Campaign Flyer (3)

1929 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	27,320	61.7	−0.1
Unionist	J.W. Harrison	8,799	19.9
Liberal	H. Holdsworth	8,141	18.4	−19.8
Majority		18,521	41.8	+18.2
Turnout		~44,260	79.2	+9.9
Registered electors		55,869

1931 - 1934

1931 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	24,897	52.9	−8.8
Conservative	C.H. Stringer	22,198	47.1	+27.2
Majority		2,699	5.8	−36.0
Turnout		~47,095	79.9	+0.7
Registered electors		58,974

1935 - 1942

1931 UK general election results for Rothwell^[2]
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Labour	W. Lunn	31,472	64.5	+11.6
Conservative	Mrs G. Beaumont	17,352	35.5	−11.6
Majority		14,120	29.0	+23.2
Turnout		~48,824	75.4	−4.5
Registered electors		64,730

Notes

↑ 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.
↑ See: ‘William Lunn’ (1891) Census return for Butcher Lane, Leeds, Hunslet subdistrict, Yorkshire [West Riding]. Public Record Office: PRO RG12/3668, folio 27, p.17. and ‘William Lunn’ (1901) Census return for Butcher Lane, Leeds, Hunslet subdistrict, Yorkshire [West Riding]. Public Record Office: PRO RG13/4199, folio 33, p.24.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 (Bellamy and Saville, 1972, p.255)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 (Craig, 1969, p.524)

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).

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