# Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Hibbert, John Tomlinson

​HIBBERT, Sir JOHN TOMLINSON (1824–1908), politician, born on 5 Jan. 1824 at Lyon House, Oldham, was eldest son of Elijah Hibbert, one of the founders of the firm of Hibbert, Platt & Sons, machinists, by his wife Betty, daughter of Abraham Hilton of Cross Bank, near Oldham. At thirteen he was sent to a private school, Green Brow, Silloth, Cumberland. Entered at Shrewsbury school in June 1837, under Benjamin Hall Kennedy [q. v.], he there distinguished himself as an athlete. In later life he was chairman of the governors of the school. He was admitted at St. John's College, Cambridge, on 15 May 1843, and graduated B.A. as next above the 'wooden spoon' in the mathematical tripos in 1847, proceeding M.A. in 1851.
Called to the bar at the Inner Temple in the Easter term 1849, Hibbert at once developed a keen interest in politics. In 1857 he unsuccessfully contested his native town in the liberal interest, but was returned unopposed at a bye-election on 6 May 1862. Being re-elected after contests on 13 July 1865 and 18 Nov, 1868, he lost the seat in February 1874, but regained it on 1 March 1877, having in the interval unsuccessfully contested Blackburn. He was re-elected for Oldham on 31 March 1880 and on 25 Nov. 1885, was defeated in 1886, regained the seat on 6 July 1892, and lost it finally on 15 July 1895. In all he was candidate for Oldham eleven times.
An enthusiastic supporter of Gladstone he held subordinate office in Gladstone's four administrations, being parliamentary secretary of the local government board from 1871 to 1874, and again from 1880 to 1883; under secretary of the home department (1883-4); financial secretary to the treasury (1884-5 and 1892-5); and secretary to the admiralty (1886). He was a business-like administrator. He also served on three Royal commissions: the sanitary commission (1868); the boundary commission (1877); the Welsh Sunday closing commission (1890); as well as on the parliamentary committee on secondary education (1893). He materially helped the passing of the Execution within Gaols Act (1868), the Married Women's Property Act (1870), the Clergy Disabilities Act (1870), and the Municipal Elections Act (1884). Always keenly interested in poor law reform, he was long president of the north-western poor law conference.
To his native county, where he became J.P. in 1855 and D.L. in 1870, Hibbert's services were manifold. On the passing of the Local Government Act, 1888, he was elected a county councillor for Cartmel, was chosen an alderman on 24 Jan. 1889, was first chairman of the Lancashire county council on 14 Feb. following, and was first chairman of the County Councils Association. Other local offices included that of governor of Owens College and of the courts of the Victoria University (where he was made D.C.L. in 1902) and of Liverpool University. Hibbert was sworn a privy councillor in 1886, and made K.C.B. in 1893. He was appointed constable of Lancaster Castle in May 1907. He died at Hampsfield Hall, Grange-over-Sands, on 7 Nov. 1908, and was buried at Lindall-in-Cartmel. He married (1) in 1847 Eliza Anne (d. 1877), eldest daughter of Andrew Scholfield of Woodfield, Oldham; and (2) in January 1878 Charlotte Henrietta, fourth daughter of Admiral Charles Warde, of Squerryes Court, Westerham, Kent. He left one son and one daughter.
Portraits are at Oldham art gallery (by J. J. Shannon, R.A.), and at the county offices at Preston and the Royal Albert Asylum, Lancaster (both by Robert E. Morrison).
[The Times, 9 Nov. 1908; Manchester Faces and Places, vol. x.; Memories, by Lady Hibbert, 1911; private information.]
T. C. H.