William Royce (politician)

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William Stapleton Royce (13 December 1858 – 23 June 1924)[1] was an English Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for the Holland with Boston constituency from 1918 until 1924.

He was born in

joiner, but served only two years of his apprenticeship before running away to London, where he worked on the construction of the General Post Office building in St Martin's-le-Grand. Three months later, he learned that the Government of Cape Town
was offering free passage to South Africa for men to build the railways in that country. He accepted a three-year contract, at the end of which he had saved enough money to set up in business on his own account.

During the next thirty years Royce was heavily engaged on the construction of various railway lines in South Africa, as well as some important public buildings. He married Emma Broedelet, the daughter of a Dutch missionary, in May 1882. In 1910, he sold his business interests in South Africa and returned to England, where he fought the January and December 1910 elections as the Conservative Party candidate for the Spalding division of Lincolnshire, but lost to his Liberal opponent.[2] In 1917, the seat became vacant on the death of the sitting member, but he felt that this was no time for political conflict, and the Liberal candidate was returned unopposed.

However, in a three-cornered fight at the December 1918 general election, he successfully contested the new Holland-with-Boston division[3] on behalf of the Labour Party,[4] and held the seat at the 1922[5] and 1923 general elections.[6]

He was offered the Governorship of

Arthur Dean.[7]

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 3)
  2. ISBN 0-900178-27-2
    .
  3. ^ "No. 31147". The London Gazette. 28 January 1919. p. 1359.
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-900178-06-X
    .
  5. ^ "No. 32775". The London Gazette. 8 December 1922. p. 8706.
  6. ^ "No. 32897". The London Gazette. 11 January 1924. p. 361.
  7. ^ "No. 32962". The London Gazette. 5 August 1924. p. 5886.

Sources

  • William Stapleton Royce: a memoir by Charles Woodrooffe Ould, published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd in 1925.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Holland with Boston
1918–1924 		Succeeded by
Arthur Dean
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