James Melville (politician)
Sir James Benjamin Melville KC (20 April 1885 – 1 May 1931) was a British Labour Party politician and government minister, and earlier a successful barrister, who died aged 46, five months before Labour's major defeat in the 1931 general election.
Private life and importance in the Labour Party with Sarah Tugander
James Melville was born at Le Havre, France, son of William Melville, from County Kerry, Ireland, who was stationed there on Intelligence work, and Kate O'Reilly. He married Sarah Tugander, formerly Conservative Prime Minister Bonar Law's private secretary. They were said to be the 'real founders' of the Labour Party in the 'difficult area' of South Kensington, despite his having first started as a Liberal. He died while Solicitor General (as a government MP) on 1 May 1931, aged 46. He was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.[1]
Legal career
As barrister in 1911 he had successfully defended the
All this was somewhat curious court work considering the number of anarchists that his father, William Melville, had apprehended, and his father's key emergent role in
Sir James also, albeit unsuccessfully, acted in appeal against the
War service
He served in
'His ill health in the last years and his early death were the belated toll exacted by his service in during the war in which he fought with the same placid courage which distinguished him in peace.'[2]
Political career
He was elected at the 1929 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Gateshead, a Labour Party safe seat where he won over 50% of the votes. At his posthumous Gateshead by-election on 8 June, Herbert Evans held the seat for Labour, but died in office on 7 October, the day when Parliament was dissolved for the 1931 general election.
In
References
- ^ ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ The Law Journal, 9 May 1931
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [better source needed]