# Sir John Barran, 2nd Baronet

Sir John Nicholson Barran, 2nd Baronet (16 August 1872 – 8 July 1952) was a British Liberal Party politician.

## Background and family

Barran was the son of John Barran (1844–1886) and the grandson of Sir John Barran, 1st Baronet. His mother was Eliza Henrietta Nicholson, daughter of Edward Nicholson. He was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge, and succeeded his grandfather in the baronetcy in 1905.
He married firstly, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston on 18 November 1902, Alice Margarita Parks, daughter of Reverend Leighton Parks, rector of Emmanuel church. They had three sons and one daughter. After his first wife's death in 1939, he married secondly in 1946 Esther Frances Fisher, daughter of New Zealand politician Frank Fisher.
His eldest son Sir John Leighton Barran (1904–1974) succeeded in the baronetcy. His youngest son Sir David Barran became a prominent businessman and served as Managing Director and Chairman of Shell.
Barran died in July 1952, aged 79.

## Political career

Barran was elected to the House of Commons at a by-election in March 1909 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hawick Burghs.
1909 Hawick Burghs by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Sir John Barran | 3,028 | 54.7 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Halford John Mackinder | 2,508 | 45.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 520 | 9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 92.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
He was re-elected with a large majority in January 1910
January 1910 general election: Hawick Burghs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Sir John Barran | 3,261 | 59.0 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal Unionist | James Edward Graham | 2,268 | 41.0 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 993 | 18.0 | +8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 91.7 | −1.1 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +4.3 | |
He was returned unopposed in December 1910. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith from 1910 to 1916. After the war he tried unsuccessfully to return to parliament, standing as Liberal candidate for Kingston upon Hull North West at the general elections of 1922, 1923 and 1924.
1922 general election: Kingston upon Hull North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Unionist | Albert Lambert Ward | 14,904 | 57.1 |
| | Liberal | Sir John Barran | 11,204 | 42.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,700 | 14.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | |
1923 general election: Kingston upon Hull North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Unionist | Albert Lambert Ward | 12,674 | 50.2 |
| | Liberal | Sir John Barran | 12,559 | 49.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 73.7 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | |
1924 general election: Kingston upon Hull North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Unionist | Albert Lambert Ward | 15,072 | 53.3 |
| | Liberal | Sir John Barran | 8,080 | 28.5 |
| | Labour | Ferdinand Louis Kerran | 5,151 | 18.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,992 | 24.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 81.2 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | |
Apart from his political career he was a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire.