'PM Made Me an MP': the Social, Occupational, and Denominational
‘PM made me an MP’: the social, occupational, and denominational background of the MPs. This appendix provides brief biographical details of those MPs named as Primitive Methodists or as close associates in Church publications during 1874-1932. It focuses on their social and occupational background and their relationship to the Church. Although most were members, usually local preachers or officials, a minority were, at most, hearers – sometimes merely former Sunday School pupils or occasional attendees at Primitive chapels. Omitted are those MPs who were first elected after Methodist Union. However, Primitive politicians active after 1932 identified during the course of this research were Edwin Gooch, Bertie Hazell, the ‘Welsh Primitive Methodist Marxist’ Harold Davies, Eric Ogden, John Beavan, John Ellis, and Ted Willis – all Labour MPs or Peers.1 In addition to the footnoted sources, the information has been derived from Hansard, Debrett’s House of Commons, census returns and BMD records. The term ‘miners’ agent’, or similar, describes a multiplicity of roles and essentially means a paid union official or elected representative of any rank: essentially a Labour Movement activist. The letters LC indicate those who served as local councillors; many of these, such as John Johnson, were mayors or, like Ben Spoor, leaders of their councils.2 Joseph Arch (1826-1919) Norfolk North Western: 1885-1886 and 1892-1900 Liberal Joseph’s father was an agricultural labourer, as was Arch himself before becoming a national agent of the Agricultural Labourers’ Union. For many years, Arch was a PM local preacher but may have reconciled himself to the Anglican Church in later life.3 4 1 PML, 28 Sep, 626, 1922 and 22 Oct, 821, 1931; Hansard, Lords, 12 December 1973 vol 347 cc1228, 15 June 1976 vol 913 cc448, 26 November 1980 vol 415 cc167, 17 January 1979 vol 960 cc1840, Deb 09 July 1990 vol 521 cc55; 2 Correspondents helpfully suggested that J.A.
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