List of members of London County Council 1889–1919


This is a list of councillors and aldermen elected or co-opted to the London County Council from its creation under the Local Government Act 1888 until 1919. There were nine triennial elections of the whole council during this period. Elections were postponed for the duration of the First World War.
Elections resumed in 1919 under new electoral boundaries and are detailed in List of members of London County Council 1919–37.

Councillors 1889–1898

Elections of councillors were held every three years. There were 118 councillors, with four elected to represent the City of London and two each for 57 electoral divisions. The divisions were identical to the constituencies for elections to the United Kingdom House of Commons that had been created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. The Progressive Party won a majority of seats in the 1889 elections, and retained it until 1907.

Party strength 1889–1898

The strength of the parties on the council after each election was as follows:
PartyCouncillors 1889Aldermen 1889Total 1889Councillors 1892Aldermen 1892Total 1892Councillors 1895Aldermen 1895Total 1895
Moderate461473523759766
Progressive7218908317100591271

Councillors 1898–1907

In 1904 the London School Board was abolished, and its responsibilities were transferred to the county council. At the 1904 election a number of outgoing school board members were elected as councillors.

Party strength 1898–1907

The strength of the parties on the council after each election was as follows:
PartyCouncillors 1898Aldermen 1898Total 1898Councillors 1901Aldermen 1901Total 1901Councillors 1904Aldermen 1904Total 1904
Moderate488563263835641
Progressive701080861298821395
Labour011011000
Independents000000101

County aldermen 1889–1913

In addition to the 118 councillors the council consisted of 19 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Half of the aldermanic bench were elected every three years following the tri-ennial council election. In the first election of aldermen in February 1889, ten of the nineteen chosen had three-year terms, retiring in 1892.

1889–1892 term

1889–1895 term

1892–1898 term

‡ re-elected alderman
† previously a councillor
♣ previously an alderman, 1889–1895

1895–1901 term

♦ Election held to fill three vacancies

1898–1904 term

1901–1907 term

1904–1910 term

‡ re-elected alderman
† previously a councillor


♦ Election held to fill two vacancies

1907–1913 term

Councillors 1907–1919

In 1906 the Moderate grouping was reorganised as the Municipal Reform Party and as such gained a majority and control of the Council in the 1907 elections. Labour Party councillors were also elected for the first time independent of the Progressive Party in 1910. The elections due to be held in 1916 were postponed due to the First World War, and councillors elected in 1913 remained in office until 1919. The Elections and Registration Act 1915 gave the council the power to co-opt members to fill casual vacancies.
The first women who could clearly serve as members were elected as councillors in 1910. Prior to the Qualification of Women Act 1907, the position was in some respects equivocal. Lady Sandhurst had been elected to the Council in 1889, but her election was challenged by petition, and the Court of Appeal ruled that a woman was ineligible for election. Jane Cobden had, however, also been elected in 1889, and Emma Cons had been elected as an alderman in 1889; neither of their elections was challenged within the requisite time limit. The Court of Appeal subsequently held, however, following Lady Sandhurst's case, that any woman who cast a vote would be voting whilst disqualified from holding office, and so liable to a financial penalty for having voted.
¶ Previously an alderman.

Party strength 1907–1919

The strength of the parties on the council after each election was as follows:
PartyCouncillors 1907Aldermen 1907Total 1907Councillors 1910Aldermen 1910Total 1910Councillors 1913Aldermen 1913Total 1913
Municipal Reform791190601777671588
Progressive378455525749453
Labour101303202
Independents101000000

County aldermen 1910–1919

Ten aldermen were appointed in 1910 and nine in 1913 to serve a six-year term. Elections due in 1916 were postponed until 1919, and vacancies were filled by co-option.
Year of electionAldermanPartyNotes
1910Arthur Shirley BennMunicipal ReformDefeated candidate at the election
1910Alfred Fowell BuxtonMunicipal Reform
1910Harold CoxMunicipal ReformResigned 16 July 1912
1910Geoffrey DrageMunicipal Reform
1910John William GilbertMunicipal Reform
1910Bernard Henry HollandMunicipal Reform
1910Frederick RogersMunicipal Reform
1910Henry Vincent RoweMunicipal Reform
1910Lady St HelierMunicipal Reform
1910Percy Coleman SimmonsMunicipal ReformDefeated candidate at the election
1912Lord Monk BrettonMunicipal Reformco-opted to fill vacancy
1912Henry L CrippsMunicipal Reformco-opted to fill vacancy. Resigned 1913
1912Maurice George Carr GlynMunicipal Reformco-opted to fill vacancy. Resigned 1914
1912Major Percy Wilfrid MachellMunicipal Reformco-opted to fill place of Sir George Goldie, resigned.
1913Cyril JacksonMunicipal Reformresigned 1916
1913William HuntMunicipal Reform
1913Sir Herbert James Francis ParsonsMunicipal Reform
1913Jessie Wilton PhippsMunicipal Reform
1913Sir George Dashwood Taubman GoldieMunicipal Reform
1913Lord ChelmsfordMunicipal ReformPrevious a councillor for South Kensington
1913Oswald PartingtonProgressive
1913Alfred Henry ScottProgressive
1913George Alexander HardyProgressive
1913Katherine WallasProgressiveTo serve until 1916 in place of Henry L Cripps, resigned
1915Howard Willmott LiversidgeMunicipal Reformco-opted to serve in place of Lord Monk Bretton, resigned
1916Francis Capel HarrisonMunicipal Reformco-opted to serve until 1919 in place of Cyril Jackson, resigned