# Joseph Stanley Snowden

Joseph Stanley Snowden (16 October 1901 – 22 January 1980), was a British Liberal Party politician and barrister.

## Background

He was the eldest son of Joseph Snowden and Fanny Ruth Snowden of Morecambe and Heysham, Lancashire. He was educated at Sedbergh School and St John's College, Cambridge. Law Tripos (Cantab) 1923 (BA, LLB). He married, in 1938, Agnes Enid Mitchell. They had no children.

## Professional career

He was Called to the Bar, Inner Temple, 1925. He joined the North-Eastern Circuit in 1925. He was Deputy Chairman, West Riding of Yorkshire Quarterly Sessions from 1960–71. He was Recorder of Scarborough from 1951–71. He was a Recorder and honorary Recorder of Scarborough from 1972–73. He was Chairman of the Yorkshire and Lancashire Agricultural Land Tribunal from 1963–71.

## Political career

He was active in Bradford and Yorkshire Liberal federations. He was Liberal candidate for the Bradford East Division of Yorkshire at the 1945 General Election.
General Election 1945: Bradford East Electorate 44,305 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank McLeavy | 15,743 | 45.0 |
| | Conservative | William Taylor | 9,109 | 26.1 |
| | Ind. Labour Party | William Ballantine | 5,105 | 14.6 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Snowden | 5,010 | 14.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,634 | 19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 78.9 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
He was Liberal candidate for the Bradford East Division of Yorkshire at the 1950 General Election.
General Election 1950: Bradford East Electorate 54,730 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank McLeavy | 27,694 | 59.8 |
| | National Liberal | Geoffrey F Greenbank | 12,527 | 27.0 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Snowden | 5,565 | 12.0 |
| | Communist | H Green | 543 | 1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,167 | 32.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 84.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
He was Liberal candidate for the Dewsbury Division of Yorkshire at the 1951 General Election.
General Election 1951: Dewsbury Electorate 62,680 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Paling | 28,650 | 53.3 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative | JE Ramsden | 19,562 | 36.4 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Snowden | 5,584 | 10.4 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,088 | 16.9 | −3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,796 | 85.8 | −2.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.9 | |
He was Liberal candidate for the Dewsbury Division of Yorkshire at the 1955 General Election.
General Election 1955: Dewsbury Electorate 55,257 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Paling | 23,286 | 52.1 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Michael Shaw | 15,869 | 35.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Snowden | 5,516 | 12.4 | +2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,417 | 16.6 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,671 | 80.8 | −5.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.1 | |
He was Liberal candidate for the Pudsey Division of Yorkshire at the 1959 General Election.
General Election 1959: Pudsey Electorate 52,285 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Joseph Hiley | 22,752 | 50.1 | 2.4 |
| | Labour | Vincent P Richardson | 16,241 | 35.8 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal | Joseph Snowden | 6,429 | 14.2 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,511 | 14.3 | 3.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 52,285 | 86.8 | 1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.8 | |