William Flanagan (politician)

British wadding and wool merchant and politician

William Henry Flanagan

Member of Parliament
for Manchester Clayton
In office
15 November 1922 – 6 December 1923
Preceded by| John Edward Sutton
Succeeded by| John Edward Sutton
In office
27 October 1931 – 14 November 1935
Preceded by| John Edward Sutton
Succeeded by| John Jagger
Personal details
Born| (1871-04-08)8 April 1871
Manchester, Lancashire, England
Died| 21 June 1944(1944-06-21) (aged 73)
Fylde, Lancashire, England
Political party| Conservative and Unionist Party
Spouse| Lilian Mary Flanagan (nee Ashley)
Children| Reginald William Ashley Flanagan
Kathleen Flanagan
Lilian Myra Flanagan
Occupation| Wadding and wool merchant

William Henry Flanagan (8 April 1871 – 21 June 1944)[1] was a British wadding and wool merchant and a Conservative and Unionist Party politician. He was the member of parliament (MP) for Manchester Clayton twice, from 1922 to 1923 and from 1931 to 1935.

Flanagan was born in Manchester on 8 April 1871, the son of Willian and Emma Flanagan.[1][2] His father was a wadding manufacturer[2] and Flanagan, who started as an apprentice, followed his father into the wadding business. He married Lilian Mary Ashley in 1899.[3]

On 15 January 1922 Edward Hopkinson, Member of Parliament for Manchester Clayton, died and Flanagan was adopted as Coalition Unionist candidate for the resulting by-election.[4] Flanagan is described as the managing director of the Imperial Patent Wadding Company Limited.[4]

Flanagan was beaten in the by-election by John Edward Sutton, a trade union official and Labour candidate.[5] Flanagan had 11,038 votes to Sutton's 14,662.[5] Within a few months, on 15 November 1922, a general election was called and this time Flanagan beat Sutton and was elected as member of parliament for Manchester Clayton.[6] In December 1923, a further general election was held resulting in a win for Sutton.[6]

It was not until the 1931 general election that Flanagan won the seat again and return to Parliament.[6] He held the seat until the 1935 general election when he decided not stand because of ill-health.[7]

Flanagan died on 21 June 1944.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 4)
2. ^ a b 1891 Census of Chorlton, RG12/3200, Folio 66, Page 44, William H. Flanagan, 23 Bold Street, Moss Side, Hulme.
3. ^ General Register Office index of marriages registered in July, August and September 1899 – Name: Flanagan, William Henry. Spouse: Ashley, Lilian Mary District: Chorlton Volume: 8C Page: 1517.
4. ^ a b "The Clayton By-Election". News in Brief. The Times. No. 42935\. London. 21 January 1922. col F, p. 12.
5. ^ a b "Labour Win at Clayton. Turnover of 8,000 Votes". News. The Times. No. 42960\. London. 20 February 1922. col F, p. 10.
6. ^ a b c Manchester Clayton 1918-1955 MPs
7. ^ "Preparing for the Election Needs of Manchester". News. The Times. No. 47196\. London. 16 October 1935. col C, p. 16.

## External links

[edit]

* Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Flanagan

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Preceded by

John Edward Sutton

|  Member of Parliament for Manchester Clayton
1922 – 1923 | Succeeded by

John Edward Sutton

Preceded by

John Edward Sutton

|  Member of Parliament for Manchester Clayton
1931 – 1935 | Succeeded by

John Jagger