|
|
Article: Josiah Wedgwood (1872-1943): the Commons Sense biographies of MPs from the past come from the work of the History of Parliament. Its founder, Josiah Wedgwood, was himself an MP: here David Cannadine writes about him and his creation.(COMMONS SENSE)
- Article from:
- History Today
- Article date:
- August 1, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 History Today Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
JOSIAH WEDGWOOD WAS Member of Parliament for Newcastle-Under-Lyme from 1906 until 1942, initially as an advanced Liberal, subsequently as a member of the Labour Party. His great-great grandfather, whose name he bore, was the famous potter, and Wedgwood took enormous pride in his family, and exhibited what he believed to be the same brand of independent radicalism that had characterized his forbears. In practice, this meant he was difficult, counter-suggestible, and a poor team player, and he never accomplished as much in British politics as he hoped. But instead, he achieved something more lasting, and that was the establishment of the History of Parliament.
...