Member of parliament for North Warwickshire
What was the position of Richard Spooner (MP) from Jul 1847 to Mar 1857?
Richard Spooner ( MP ) Richard Spooner ( 28 July 1783 – 24 November 1864 ) was a British businessman and politician . In his youth he was a Radical reformer , but in later life he moved to the political right to become an Ultra-Tory . Early life and family . Spooner was born at Birches Green , Erdington , and was the son of Isaac Spooner , a banker and magistrate in nearby Birmingham . Following education at Rugby School , he joined a banking company , where he was in partnership with Thomas Attwood . In 1804 he married Charlotte Wetherell , daughter of Nathan Wetherell , the Dean of Hereford . He was involved in the civic life of Birmingham , helping to found the Mechanics Institute in 1820 , of which he was the first president . Radical politics . In 1812 Spooner and Attwood led a campaign to repeal the orders in council introduced in 1807 as part of the governments campaign of economic warfare against France . The orders , which severely effected the trade of Birmingham were repealed later in the year . In March 1820 he contested the general election at Boroughbridge , Yorkshire . The constituency was a two-seat pocket borough in the hands of the Dukes of Newcastle , who supported the Tory candidates . However , Spooner , running as a Radical , and Marmaduke Lawson , a Whig were elected . Three months later , the Tories managed to have the election of both MPs overturned on petition . In 1826 Spooner again stood for parliament at Warwickshire . While he had overwhelming support from the voters of Birmingham , he was unsuccessful . In December of the same year a parliamentary vacancy was caused , when Richard Ironmonger MP for Stafford died . Spooner was chosen as the Radical candidate to contest the ensuing by-election , but was defeated in a straight fight by the Whig , Thomas Beaumont . He was expected to contest the seat again at the next general election in 1830 . Instead he stood at Coventry , where his colleague Attwood had been requested to stand , but had declined . Once again , he failed to be elected . Move to the Tories . By 1832 Spooners repeated electoral defeats led to his moving away from Radical politics . In that year he was asked to join the Birmingham Political Union , but declined the invitation . By the time of the 1835 general election he had made a complete change in his political views . The Birmingham Daily Post described his conversion : ...from having been a bold and uncompromising Liberal , became ultimately one of the most determined , immovable and obstructive members of the ultra-Tory party . Member of parliament for Birmingham . In 1835 and 1841 Spooner stood as the Tory candidate against Birminghams sitting Radical MPs . He was heavily defeated on both occasions . In 1844 , Joshua Scholefield , one of the towns members of parliament , died . Consequently , a by-election was held . Spooner was again the Tory candidate and was opposed by William Scholefield , son of the deceased MP , who was expected to hold the seat for the Radicals . However , the Liberal/Radical vote was split when a third candidate , Joseph Sturge , entered the contest . Spooner was elected most likely to his own astonishment as the first Tory MP for Birmingham . It was noted that the personal liking felt for the man was temporarily permitted to outweigh the general resentment at his political apostasy . At the next general election in 1847 the Liberals were reunited , and Spooner lost the seat to William Scholefield . Member of parliament for North Warwickshire . Having lost his seat at Birmingham in July 1847 , Spooner was immediately nominated as a Conservative candidate for the two-member Northern Division of Warwickshire where polling was not held until August . On 16 August he was duly declared elected , along with his party colleague , Charles Newdigate Newdegate . He held the seat at the general elections of 1852 , 1857 and 1859 . Spooner was a member of the Ultra faction of the Tories . He was a proponent of protectionism and a strong Anglican , opposing any measures of relief to Roman Catholics , Dissenters or Jews . In his later years he was considered a figure of fun , with his annual ( and barely audible ) speech denouncing the renewal of the grant to Maynooth Seminary treated with derision . In his obituary his later parliamentary contributions were summarised : ...every proposal which in his early life would have elicited his most strenuous approval , received in his old age his most vehement opposition . In 1862 he became unwell , and ceased attending the Commons . He delayed his resignation as the local Conservative organisation had no agreed candidate in the event of a vacancy . He lived in virtual retirement at Henwood Lodge , Leamington Spa , where he died in November 1864 . He was buried in the family vault at Elmdon .