John Slagg

Caricature of John Slagg by Leslie Ward ("Spy"), 1884

John Slagg (junior) (24 Oct 1837 – 7 May 1889) was a British businessman and Liberal politician.

He was the eldest son of John Slagg, a justice of the peace at Manchester, and his wife Jane née Crighton.^[1][2] John Slagg senior was a commission agent and merchant in the city. His friend, Anti Corn Law campaigner Richard Cobden was his son's godfather.^[3]

Slagg followed his father into business, and became president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.^[1] In 1885 he was appointed as a director of the Suez Canal Company.^[4] He made his home at Hopefield, Pendleton.^[2]

In 1880 he was elected as one of Manchester's three members of parliament.^[2] The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided the Manchester constituency into six divisions, and Slagg stood as the Liberal candidate at Manchester North West, but was defeated. He returned to the Commons at a by-election in 1887 at Burnley.

In 1866 he married Katherine German of Sevenoaks, Kent.^[1]

John Slagg died at his Mayfair, London home in May 1889, aged 51.^[5]

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

1. Obituary, The Times, 8 May 1889, p. 7
2. The New Members of Parliament, The Times, 6 April 1880, p. 4
3. Richard Cobden, Anthony Howe, Simon Morgan, Gordon Bannerman, The Letters of Richard Cobden: Volume I: 1815-1847, Oxford, 2007
4. The Suez Canal, The Times, 1 June 1885, p. 5
5. Deaths, The Times, 9 May 1889, p. 1

External links

• Works by or about John Slagg at the Internet Archive
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Slagg

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Thomas Bazley Hugh Birley Jacob Bright	Member of Parliament for Manchester 1880 – 1885 With: Jacob Bright Hugh Birley 1880 – 1883 William Henry Houldsworth 1883 – 1885	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Peter Rylands	Member of Parliament for Burnley 1887 – 1889	Succeeded by Jabez Spencer Balfour
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by William Baker	President of the Manchester Statistical Society 1883–84	Succeeded by Robert Montgomery