Garnham Edmonds JP (20 April 1865 – 9 April 1946) was a British butcher and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician who was both an MP and Mayor of Bethnal Green.

Background

Edmonds was described as tall, handsome, with a great shock of hair.Forty Years in and out of Parliament by Percy Harris. He had a daughter, Kate E. Rawles, who was awarded the MBE.

Professional career

Edmonds was a butcher in

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common land, Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heat ...

, East London, trading as Edmonds and Mears tripe dressers. His butchers shop was located in Bethnal Green Road and sold tripe and offal. After his election to parliament he continued to serve behind the counter and would travel each morning at 6.30am to

Smithfield Market Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...

to make purchases. He was also a religious and social worker.

Political career

Edmonds was President of the local Liberal association. In 1902 he was elected a member of

Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council Bethnal Green was a civil parish and a metropolitan borough in the East End of London, England. It was formed as a civil parish in 1743 from the Bethnal Green hamlet in Stepney ancient parish, and the church of St Matthew, Bethnal Green, was ded ...

, and was mayor of the borough from 1907–08. In 1910 he was elected as a

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

member 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 ...

, holding his seat until retiring in 1922. In the general election of that year he was elected as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Bethnal Green North East with a majority of 115 votes over Walter Windsor of the Labour Party. However, a further election was held in 1923, and Edmonds was unseated by Windsor. He again contested the seat in 1924 but lost by 95 votes. He continued as prospective Liberal candidate until resigning in 1926. He did not stand for parliament again. He did return to local politics, being elected again to Bethnal Green Council, serving as Chairman of the Baths Committee. He served as a

Justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for the County of London.

Electoral record

Death

Edmonds died at his home in

Woodford Green Woodford Green is an area of Woodford in north-east London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It adjoins Buckhurst Hill to the north, Woodford Bridge to the east, South Woodford to the south, and Chingford to the west. Epping F ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, in April 1946, aged 81."Deaths", ''The Times'', 11 April 1946, p. 1.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonds, Garnham 1865 births 1946 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1922–1923 Members of London County Council Progressive Party (London) politicians Members of Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council