Guy Rowson

Guy Rowson (1883 - 16 November 1937)[1] was a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Farnworth in Lancashire. He was elected in 1929, defeated in 1931,[2] and re-elected in 1935, until his death in 1937.[3] He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Labour leader of the opposition, Clement Attlee.[4] In 1936, he was responsible for the introduction of the Annual Holiday Bill,[5] which regulated holiday pay for workers.

Tyldesley Town Hall at which Rowson served 1919-1925

Mining

Rowson became a coal miner at age 12.[6] In 1923, he became a Miners' Agent in the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation.[2]

Other activities

In 1907 he joined the Social Democratic Federation, and in 1910 he stood as a Socialist for the Tyldesley Urban District Council.[6] where he was defeated, but elected in 1919, where he served until 1925.[7]

Quotes

In his memoires, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee wrote:

"I appointed a Lancashire miner, Guy Rowson, as my Parliamentary Private Secretary, but his early death cut short a promising career."[8]

Personal

Born in 1883 in Ellenbrook, near Worsley in Lancashire, he was the son of a coal miner, Joseph Rowson [9][10] and his wife Mary.[11]

References
  1. "Rowson, G.", The Constitutional year book, Volume 1932, Publisher: Harvester Press, 1931. (page 208)
  2. Charles Roger Dod, Robert Phipps Dod, Dod's parliamentary companion, Publisher Dod's Parliamentary Companion, ltd., 1936. (page 423)
  3. "Mr Guy Rowson", theyworkforyou.com
  4. "Death of Mr Guy Rowson", The Glasgow Herald, 17 Nov 1937
  5. Pimlott, John Alfred Ralph; The Englishman's holiday: a social history, Harvester Press, 1 Jan 1976, ISBN 978-0-85527-229-6 (University of Michigan reprint)
  6. "Obituary, The Colliery Guardian, 19 Nov 1937, Page 976, Column 2
  7. "Mr. Guy Rowson, M.P.", The Times (London), Wednesday, 17 Nov 1937, page 10, issue 47844.
  8. Clement Richard Attlee, As it happened, Publisher W. Heinemann, 1954, 312 pages (page 117)
  9. Michael Stenton, Stephen Lees, Who's who of British members of Parliament: a biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on annual volumes of Dod's Parliamentary companion and other sources, Volume 3, Publisher Harvester Press, 1979, ISBN 0-391-00768-8, ISBN 978-0-391-00768-0, 413 pages (page 309)
  10. "England and Wales Census, 1881 for Joseph Rowson" @ familysearch.org
  11. "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 for Guy Rowson" at familysearch.org
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