As He Liked to Describe Himself, Jabez Spencer Balfour, MP for Tamworth

A ‘SINCERE, thOROUgh AND HEARTY LIBERAL’? A ‘sincere, thorough and hearty Liberal’, as he liked to describe himself, Jabez Spencer Balfour, MP for Tamworth from 1880 to 1885 and for Burnley from 1889 until 1892, was, if not exactly an ornament, certainly an undoubted asset to the Liberal cause until commercial and personal disaster plunged him into notoriety. He had built before then a reputation as a shrewd and successful businessman, a pillar of Nonconformity, a devoted friend of the temperance movement, and a dedicated champion of Liberalism, first in municipal Croydon and then on the national platforms on to which, as a reliably crowd-pleasing orator, he was often invited to speak. David McKie tells his story. 38 Journal of Liberal History 52 Autumn 2006 A ‘SINCERE, thOROUgh AND HEARTY LIBERAL’? JABEZ BALFOUR, 1843 – 1916 alfour – Jabez in was Croydon, where he soon Under his Tamworth in the west Midlands, his youth and in his established himself as a person of his heart was always in Croydon, late notoriety, but consequence. The town’s popu- guidance, where it often seemed that little always J. Spencer lation had grown from 6,000 in of consequence moved without Balfour when he 1801 to well over 50,000 by the the Libera- him. The issues he raised in the Bwas in his prime – was born, on time the Balfours arrived, and Commons were as likely to con- 4 September 1843, in the Maida Jabez and Liberal businessmen tor building cern the people of Croydon as Hill area of London, to Clara like him believed it was time it society … the people of Tamworth. Before Lucas Balfour, a celebrated lec- was thoroughly modernised and borough status, he regularly turer, writer and temperance given its independence from the established topped the poll for the school campaigner, and her husband county of Surrey. board. He sat on the bench and James, who had married her Though motivated by a itself as was active in local charities. He when she was not yet sixteen high local patriotism, they also spoke often, and copiously, at and whose own attachment scented a political advantage. the biggest the extravagant self-congratu- to the temperance movement Ratepayers excluded from vot- society in latory banquets that punctuated reflected a previous weakness for ing under the old limited vestry the civic year. He served on an drink. Clara Balfour’s fame as system would be enfranchised the land, array of committees from the a writer and a speaker at a time if Croydon attained borough hospital to the commons preser- when women speakers on public status, and that would push up offering vation society. He was president platforms were rare brought the the Liberal vote. ‘In Croydon’ of the local Liberal Party and a family out of near penury into a says J. N. Morris in his history families … patriotic officer in the military relative affluence which paid for of religion and politics in the the chance Volunteers. the precocious young Jabez to be town, Religion and Urban Change, He was also by now a figure sent to schools abroad. ‘incorporation put an end to the to liberate of increasing national repu- By now, his father was work- claims of Anglicanism to act as tation. Under his guidance, ing at the Palace of Westmin- the focus of community loyalties themselves the Liberator building society ster as an aide to more senior … what the “democratisation” – its name designed to echo officials while developing his of local government … achieved from the that of the Liberation Society, own business interests. In the was therefore the supersession suze- an umbrella organisation pro- year of his seventeenth birth- of the Anglican oligarchy who moting the interests of English day, probably though his father’s had previously ruled the town rainty of and Welsh Nonconformity and contacts, Jabez joined a firm of by what was in effect “a new challenging the privileged sta- parliamentary agents. But his municipal elite”.’ landlords. tus of Anglicanism – established ravening ambition and restless That Croydon was given bor- itself as the biggest society in energy propelled him towards ough status in 1883 might have the land, offering families who greater things. Having married been partly due, Balfour sug- (Left): Jabez had seen no such hope before ‘wanted’ on and settled in Reigate, he moved gested, to the influence he had charges of fraud the chance to liberate them- in 1869 with his wife and young deployed as a backbench Liberal (Croydon Local selves from the suzerainty of family to the greater stage that MP. Though he represented Studies Library) landlords. A string of satellite Journal of Liberal History 52 Autumn 2006 39 A ‘siNCERE, ThoroUgh AND HEarTY LibEral’? companies buttressed the Liber- for the Liberation Society as hos- greatness of Gladstone to the ator: some to buy land, some to tile to the survival of the Angli- need to reform the franchise build homes for the society’s cli- can church and by implication and extend it to women or the ents. In time, the Balfour group to the Christian religion too. case for home rule for Ireland, launched its own bank, the Lon- And despite their success in local he could captivate and enthuse don and General. Before long, it politics, the Liberals were con- an audience, his Commons moved away from its founding sistently disappointed at national speeches were rare and made commitment to extending the elections in Croydon, even after no great impact. An MP could benefits of home ownership to Jabez had gone and less contro- achieve far more, he liked to unprivileged families and began versial candidates contested the explain, by assiduous work in to embark on prestige projects: seat. Maybe with his character- committees and party meetings the mighty Hotel Cecil, off the istic optimism, Jabez overesti- and Westminster corridors than Strand; the luxurious apartment mated his chances of success. At by addressing the House. He complex of Hyde Park Court; any rate, in the event, he took made much more of a splash in Whitehall Court, alongside the only 4,315 votes to the 5,484 of His fellow his constituencies: at Burnley, National Liberal Club. Admir- the eminent local Tory drafted a town he always extolled in ers began to talk of Balfour’s in to oppose him. Croydon lavish terms, he got himself ‘Midas touch’, and companies His affection for Croydon did installed as president of the in trouble sought to steady not survive this reverse. There- Liberals football club, on whose behalf themselves and redeem their after he was rarely seen in the he accepted the Lancashire Cup reputations by giving him seats town. He left his fine house and persuaded after their unexpected defeat on their boards. As the Pall Mall moved to the edge of Hyde Park, him to put of their bitter rivals Blackburn Gazette was later to recollect: while he also acquired a coun- in 1890, while also delivering ‘Evidently, he was the coming try house in the village of Bur- his name a lecture lasting one hour and man, and there appeared to be cot in Oxfordshire, where he twenty minutes to the local Lit- no bounds to his popularity. He established himself as the phil- forward erary and Philosophical Society was affluent, always smiling, anthropic modernising squire of in honour of Dr Johnson. And always ready to give freely of the village. as charter working people’s organisations both time and money.’ Balfour was eager throughout mayor of were impressed with the energy So when borough status was to resume his career at West- and resolution with which he granted, his fellow Croydon minster. Though he lost at Wal- the town, took up their causes at West- Liberals persuaded him to put his worth in the general election of minster and in government name forward as charter mayor 1886, and failed to hold a Liberal a role he offices. Above all, he got him- of the town, a role he performed seat at a by-election in Don- self talked about: as for instance with such energy, enthusiasm, caster two years later, he took performed when, trapped in a late-running generosity and swagger that advantage of an early warning of with such train and anxious not to be late the aldermen and councillors a coming vacancy at Burnley to for a Burnley occasion, he hired voted to keep him on for a sec- sweep into the town and tie up energy, a special train to complete his ond term. With his seat at Tam- the nomination within hours of journey from Wakefield. worth doomed to be swept away the formal announcement that enthu- Yet the party leader on whom in a redistribution, he hoped to the former member was quitting. he always lavished such praise ride back to Westminster on this Six days later, he was elected siasm, failed to fulfil his dream of min- tide of popularity at the general for Burnley, unopposed, the generosity isterial office. Perhaps Gladstone election of 1885 as member for town’s Unionists having been knew what was coming. Within Croydon. so badly wrong-footed that they and swag- weeks of his re-election, Bal- But here he was disappointed. did not put up a candidate. At four’s commercial empire was In the second year of his mayor- the general election of 1892, he ger that in serious trouble. The economy alty his reputation was dented was re-elected with the biggest was running into recession. The by the operational problems percentage majority seen in the the alder- near-collapse of the great city and financial difficulties of town since the 1832 Reform Act.

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