John Ellis (Liberal politician)

John Edward Ellis (15 October 1841 – 5 December 1910), was a British colliery owner and Liberal politician.

The Right Honourable
John Ellis
Ellis in 1895.
Under-Secretary of State for India
In office
12 December 1905 – 29 January 1907
Prime MinisterHenry Campbell-Bannerman
Preceded byThe Marquess of Bath
Succeeded byCharles Hobhouse
Member of Parliament
for Rushcliffe
In office
18 December 1885 – 5 December 1910
Preceded byconstituency created
Succeeded byLeif Jones
Personal details
Born15 October 1841[1]
Castle View, the Newarke, Leicester
Died5 December 1910
Wrea Head Hall, Scalby
Political partyLiberal Party

Ellis was born in Leicester to a wealthy Quaker family, his grand-father (also named John Ellis) being chair of the Midland Railway Company.

John was educated at a boarding school in Hereford, then in Kendal, following which he went to America with his father to study railway engineering. Returning to the UK, he worked as an engineer, then in 1861 organised the opening of Hucknall Colliery.[1]

In 1867, Ellis married Maria Rowntree, the sister of Joshua Rowntree.[2] They had three sons: John, Arthur and Harold. Their twin daughters, Edith and Marian, were anti-war activists.[1]

In 1870, Ellis formed a Liberal Association in Hucknall, and was elected as the first president of the town's school board, serving until 1882. He was returned to Parliament for the newly created constituency of Rushcliffe in the 1885 general election. In Parliament, he was supporter of Irish Home Rule, and became a committee chairman. He supported the Boers in the Second Boer War, but as his health gradually declined, he became less active after 1902.[1]

In December 1905, Ellis was appointed Under-Secretary of State for India in the Liberal administration of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, a post he held until 1907, and was sworn into the Privy Council in January 1906. A radical Liberal, Ellis was amongst those Liberals who supported David Lloyd George's progressive "People's Budget" of 1909.

Ellis remained Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe into 1910, but announced his intention to stand down at the December 1910 United Kingdom general election. He died suddenly, shortly before the election took place.[1]

References
  1. Richard Rempel, "Ellis, John Edward", in: Baylen, Joseph; Gossman, Norbert (1988). Biographical Dictionary of Modern British Radicals. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. pp. 293–295. ISBN 0710813198.
  2. Milligan, Edward H. "Rowntree, Joshua". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/41237. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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