Charles Harrison (1 August 1835 – 24 December 1897) was a British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician. Harrison was born in

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, and was the third son of Frederick Harrison, a stockbroker, and his wife, Jane Brice. He was educated at

King's College School King's College School, also known as Wimbledon, KCS, King's and KCS Wimbledon, is a public school in Wimbledon, southwest London, England. The school was founded in 1829 by King George IV, as the junior department of King's College London an ...

and King's College London. In 1858 he entered business as a solicitor at the firm of his uncle, also named Charles Harrison. He acquired a large practice in his own right, with major clients being the

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and the Law Fire Insurance Society. He became an advocate for the rights of tenants to purchase their properties and for the provision of housing for the working classes. In this, he was in agreement with the policies of the Radical wing of the Liberal Party. In 1886, he married Lady Harriet Barlow. His active involvement with politics came with the creation of the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

in 1889. He was elected as one of the council's first members, representing Bethnal Green South West as a member of the Liberal-backed

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. He was a leading member of the council, and vice-chairman from 1892 – 1895. His interests in the government of the capital led him to call for the municipalisation of the London docks and the unification of the

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with the county. On two occasions Harrison stood for election to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on behalf of the Liberals. In

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he failed to be elected at Plymouth. He stood again at the ensuing general election in 1895, and became one of the town's two members of parliament, while continuing to hold his seat on the London County Council. Harrison became suddenly ill with inflammation of the throat at the funeral of Sir Frank Lockwood on 23 December 1897 and died at his London home on the following day from heart failure.

References

* * *''Obituary: Mr. Charles Harrison, M.P.'', The Times, 27 December 1897, p. 7

External links

* 1835 births 1897 deaths People educated at King's College School, London Alumni of King's College London Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1895–1900 Members of London County Council Progressive Party (London) politicians Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Plymouth {{England-Liberal-UK-MP-stub