Illingworth, Percy Holden

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Watercolour portrait of Percy Holden Illingworth, MA LLB

from John Sowden''s notebooks:

"Mr Percy Illingworth was born March 19, 1869, the third son of Mr Henry Illingworth who in conjunction with his brother Alfred one of the most notable figures in politics of the last generation, carried on a great spinning business, established by their father, Daniel Illingworth of Whetley Mills. On his mother's side he was a grandson of Sir Isaac Isaac Holden.
Mr Percy Illingworth was educated in the first instance at Isleworth International College where the political interest began to assert itself and he obtained a prize offered by the Cobden Club for the best essay in political economy.
At the age of 16 he went to Jesus College, Cambridge where in 1891 he graduated BA and LLB taking his MA degree for years later. For a couple of years he was spare oar for the Cambridge Eight, for two years he rowed stroke and was captain of the College boat while in foot racing, hurdling and football he was to the front. In the early 90s, when he returned to Bradford he took a prominent part in the fortunes of Bradford Football Club. Mr Percy Illingworth was called to the bar in 1894 and spent some time in travel. He paid two visits to South Africa and whilst there did some big game shooting. He had already been selected as the prospective Liberal candidate for the Shipley Division when the South African crisis came to a head. He felt it his duty to return to South Africa and on the outbreak of the war joined the Yorkshire Yeomanry at the headquarters camp at Maitland, near Cape Town. He attested on one Tuesday and in the following Thursday was in a troop train bound for Bloemfontein. Afterwards he joined the 9th (Yorkshire Hussars) company of the Imperial Yeomanry.
The troop to which Mr Illingworth belonged had by this time seen so much service that they were ordered to Kroonstad to refit and get remounted.
It was at this juncture that news came of the impending dissolution of the Unionist Government, accompanied by a preemptory(?) summons to Mr Illingworth to return for the election. Lord Roberts gave him special leave and a few weeks later he was fighting what at the moment was a follow-on political hope.
Sir Fortescue Flannery had the advantage of the wave of emotional feeling in the matter of the war, but Mr Illingworth’s attack was so strenuous that the seat was only served for the unionists by 61 votes. The significance of the election was so obvious that when in 1906 Sir Fortescue Flannery found himself challenged by his redoubtable opponent, he seized an opportunity of withdrawing his candidature and taking himself to what he vainly hoped might prove a safe seat. Mr Percy in English became Private Secretary to Mr Birrell.
He served under Mr Birrell both at the Board of Education and at the Irish Office with zeal and ability which made Mr Birrell one of his firmest friends. He was clearly on the high road to promotion when the first election of 1910 came to add to his laurels. He was opposed by Professor Hewins, the great hope of the Birmingham School and routed him by no less than a majority of 3775.
He moved the Address to the Throne in the new Parliament, a task which he accomplished with exceptional distinction. He was immediately appointed to a Junior Lordship of the Treasury in 1910. In 1911 he was promoted to the post of second Ministerial Whip in succession to Sir John Fuller.
The choice was so clearly justified that on the retirement of the Master of Elibank, Mr Percy Illingworth’s succession was never in doubt. He himself modestly protested to the Prime Minister his own doubts as to his entire adequacy to the larger task thrust upon him.
Mr Asquith smiled and gave him a quietly confident reassurance as to his own entire faith in the sufficiency of Mr Illingworth to the task.
By common consent the last honourr to be bestowed upon him a few days before his death, that of a Privy Councillorship had been more than earned, and it will be universally deplored that a career of unselfish usefulness and of still greater promise should have come to so untimely an end. Mr Killingworth married in 1907 Miss May Coats, a daughter of the late Mr Jean Coats of Paisley, by whom he had three sons."

Year

1905

Creator

John Sowden

Image filename

sowden-50