Sir Thomas Arthur Bramsdon (27 February 1857 – 29 September 1935)[1] was a British solicitor from Portsmouth[2] and a Liberal Party politician who was elected for four non-consecutive terms as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth constituencies.[1]
Early life
Bramsdon was born on 27 February 1857 in Portsea, Portsmouth, the son of John and Emma Bramsdon.[3] In the 1861 Census his father was described as a retail brewer living at 40 Hertford Street, Portsea and Thomas is listed as a four-year-old Scholar.[3]
In the 1871 Census Bramsdon is living with his widowed mother at 350 Commercial Road, Portsea and is described as a 14-year-old solicitor's clerk.[4]
Bramsdon was educated at Esplanade House School, in Portsmouth, and admitted as a solicitor in 1878, practising in the local firm of Bramsdon and Childs. He later became a Justice of the Peace and Coroner for Portsmouth, and was at one time President of Coroners' Society for England and
Wales. He also served as Chairman of the Governors of the Royal Portsmouth, Portsea, and Gosport Hospital, as a Governor of Portsmouth Grammar School, and for six years was Chairman of the Portsmouth School Board.[2]
In 1880 he married Mary Anna Adelaide (née Reid), the only daughter of Captain Charles Auguste Reid of the 20th Bengal Infantry.[2]
Political career
He was first elected to the House of Commons at a by-election in May 1900 for the Borough of Portsmouth following the resignation of the Liberal MP Walter Clough. However, he lost his seat five months later in a very closely fought contest at the general election in October 1900. Two Liberal candidates and two Conservatives had contested the two seats, with the Conservatives winning both seats; but although Bramsdon won the lowest number of votes, his 24.2% share was only fractionally below that required to win a seat.[5]
During the First World War, Bramsdon was out of Parliament but accepted several war-related public appointments. He was Vice-Chairman of Portsmouth District Recruiting Committee from 1914 to 1918, was appointed as National Service Commissioner for Portsmouth and East Hampshire in 1917.[2]
At the 1922 general election, Portsmouth Central saw a closely fought 4-way contest, with Labour, Conservative, Liberal and National Liberal candidates all winning over 20% of the votes. The Conservative Frank Privett won with a majority of only 7 votes over the National Liberal, but Bramsdon's third-place was only 2.0% of the votes behind the winner.[7]
^ ab1861 Census RG09/634 Folio 86, Page 27, Schedule 161: Portsea Island - Portsmouth Municipal Borough - 40, Hertford Street, Portsea, Portsmouth
^1871 Census RG10/1129 Folio 5, Page 4, Schedule 23: Portsea Island - Portsmouth Municipal Borough - Commercial Road, Portsea, Portsmouth
^ abCraig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 171. ISBN0-900178-27-2.
^ abcCraig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 217. ISBN0-900178-06-X.
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