Oliver Walter Wright (1881 – 21 January 1938) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and Employee ben ...

and political activist. Born in Swanwick in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, Wright began working in a coal mine at the age of nine. He later worked for the Butterley Company, and in 1920 was elected as lodge secretary for the Derbyshire Miners' Association (DMA), and as a delegate to its council. He stood for the Labour Party in

Belper Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England, located about north of Derby on the River Derwent. As well as Belper itself, the parish also includes the village of Milford and the ha ...

at the 1922 general election.J. E. Williams, ''The Derbyshire Miners'', pp.586-587 Unusually, he was nominated by the local Labour Party, but later acquired the sponsorship of the DMA after it failed to agree an alternative candidate. He was not elected and, although he stood again in

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

, his vote fell. He was nominated again as a candidate for the 1924 general election, but given his poor performance, decided it wise to withdraw and instead back another candidate - he hoped

Hugh Dalton Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton, (16 August 1887 – 13 February 1962) was a British Labour Party economist and politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947. He shaped Labour Party foreign policy in the 1 ...

would stand, although ultimately he did not. Following this, Wright decided to restand as the DMA nominee, but lost the nomination to

Jack Lees Jack Lees (1884 – 11 August 1940) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Belper in Derbyshire from 1929 to 1931. Born in West Rainton in County Durham, Lees became a coal miner and joined the Northum ...

.J. E. Williams, ''The Derbyshire Miners'', pp.826-827 Wright then devoted his time to the union. He was appointed as one of its trustees, and in 1928 beat eleven other candidates, including Joseph Lynch and Samuel Sales, to become the DMA's treasurer. He served in the post for ten years, but he suffered from poor health and had to take frequent absences due to illness. He died, still in office, in 1938.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Oliver 1881 births 1938 deaths People from Amber Valley Trade unionists from Derbyshire Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates British trade union leaders