# Herbert Craig

Captain Herbert James Craig CBE VD ADC (30 September 1869 – 18 March 1934) was a British Liberal Party politician, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officer, businessman and barrister.

## Background

He was born the son of James Craig MP and Kate Sophia Hould. He was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He married, in 1909, Elsie Rundall.

## Career

Craig was called to the bar in 1892 at the Inner Temple, and practised on the North-Eastern Circuit. He served as a Justice of the Peace in Northumberland.
He served as Liberal MP for Tynemouth from 1906 to 1918. He was elected for the first time at 1906 general election, standing for the first time and gaining the seat from the Conservatives. He was re-elected at both the January 1910 December 1910 general elections.
He served in the Royal Naval Voluntary Reserve (Tyneside division), reaching the rank of Commander during World War I.
At the 1918 general election, when Liberal MPs were forced to choose between support for Lloyd George's government or Asquith's opposition, he was absent from the Maurice debate division. He then sought government endorsement for his candidature but the 'coupon' was issued to his Unionist opponent, and he lost his seat at the 1918.
He stood again at the 1922 general election, trying to regain his seat. However, he was unsuccessful and did not stand for parliament again.
He was head of the firm, Borries, Craig & Co., Ltd, export merchants and shipbrokers, of Newcastle upon Tyne. He was a Commander in the Royal Naval Volunteers and commanded the Tyne Division from 1920 to 1929. He was an Aide-de-camp from 1926 to 1929. He was appointed a CBE in 1929.

### Election results

General election January 1906: Tynemouth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Herbert Craig | 4,286 | 54.9 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Leverton-Harris | 3,522 | 45.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 86.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 764 | 9.8 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | |
General election January 1910: Tynemouth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Herbert Craig | 4,487 | 52.9 |
| | Conservative | E.G. Spencer-Churchill | 3,993 | 47.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 83.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | 5.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
General election December 1910: Tynemouth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Herbert Craig | 4,106 | 51.1 |
| | Conservative | Charles Percy | 3,939 | 48.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 79.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 177 | 2.2 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
General election 1918: Tynemouth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Unionist | Charles Percy | 5,883 | 34.7 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Craig | 5,434 | 32.2 |
| | Independent Labour | George Harold Humphrey | 2,566 | 15.2 |
| | Independent | Henry Gregg | 2,495 | 14.8 |
| | National | Dixon Scott | 517 | 3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 63.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 449 | 2.5 |
| | Unionist gain from Liberal | Unionist gain from Liberal | Swing | |
General election 1922: Tynemouth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Unionist | Alexander Russell | 11.244 | 48.1 |
| | Liberal | Herbert Craig | 6,787 | 29.0 |
| | Labour | George Harold Humphrey | 5,362 | 22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 83.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,457 | 19.1 |
| | Unionist hold | Unionist hold | Swing | |

## Sources

* Who Was Who
* British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, Craig, F. W. S.