Barbara Bliss

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Barbara Bliss

Barbara Ellen Mary Stevenson Bliss (12 April 1897 – 1987), was a British writer, lecturer and Liberal Party politician.

Background[edit]

Bliss was born at The Tarlah, Boudjah near Smyrna, Ottoman Empire,[1] the youngest of three daughters to Joseph Bliss and Margaret McClymont. Her father was briefly Liberal MP for Cockermouth.[2] She grew up in Söke, Ottoman Empire.[3] She was educated privately and at Girton College, Cambridge from 1917 to 1920, where she studied History and Economics.[4]

Professional career[edit]

Bliss was engaged in Voluntary Aid Detachment work during World War One. She returned to Turkey and was involved in refugee work in Constantinople.[5] She undertook a lecture tour of Canada for the Save the Children Fund. She was a member of the Armenian Committee of the Save the Children Fund.[6] In 1926 she went on a world tour with her father. She was the Organising Secretary of the Housing Improvement Society in London.[7] As a writer, her published works included 'The Temperance Question: its Relation to Women's Problems of To-Day.'[8]

Political career[edit]

Given that her father had been an active Liberal, it was not surprising that Bliss should take up politics. While at University, she was a leading member of the Cambridge University Liberal Club[9] In 1922 she became active in the Women's Liberal Federation, when she was first elected to the Federation's national executive.[10] At the 1924 general election, she spoke in support of Ronald Williams, a Liberal MP defending his seat of Sevenoaks.[11] In 1925 she first stood for election as a Progressive candidate for St Margaret's ward in the Westminster City Council elections.[12][13] She became an Honorary Secretary of the anti-Lloyd George group, the 'Liberal Council'.[14] She carried out this role from 1927 to 1934.[15]

At the age of 32, Bliss was Liberal candidate for the East Grinstead division of Sussex at the 1929 general election. She was adopted as candidate in January 1928.[16] This was the "Flapper Election" where women under the age of 30 were allowed to vote for the first time. East Grinstead was a safe Unionist seat and not promising territory for a Liberal candidate. However, she achieved a swing to the Liberals of 6.3%, finishing a respectable second place ahead of the Labour candidate.

She was Liberal candidate for the Carlisle division of Cumberland at the 1935 general election. She had some link with the area as the Bliss family had lived in Cumberland. However, a Liberal had not won Carlisle since 1918 and no Liberal had fought the seat at the previous election in 1931. This was not a good omen and she came a poor third.

Twenty-nine years later, she stood for a final time as a parliamentary candidate. She was Liberal candidate for the Isle of Wight division of Hampshire at the 1964 general election. No Liberal had run here since 1945, when they finished a poor third. It was regarded as a safe Conservative seat. She came third polling nearly 15%. She did not stand for parliament again.[17]

Electoral record[edit]

General Election 1929: East Grinstead[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Henry Cautley 21,940 57.9 -6.7
Liberal Barbara Bliss 9,718 25.6 +5.9
Labour Thomas Crawford 6,265 16.5 +0.8
Majority 12,222 32.3 -12.6
Turnout 68.5 -1.7
Unionist hold Swing -6.3
General Election 1935: Carlisle[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Spears 16,591 48.7 -8.6
Labour Arnold Townend 13,956 41.0 +1.6
Liberal Barbara Bliss 3,525 10.3 n/a
Majority 2,635 7.7 -7.0
Turnout 88.2 +1.5
Conservative hold Swing -3.5
General Election 1964: Isle of Wight[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Woodnutt 27,497 53.5 -9.4
Labour William Mann 16,244 31.6 -5.5
Liberal Barbara Bliss 7,666 14.9 n/a
Majority 11,253 21.9 -3.9
Turnout 74.3 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing -1.9

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935
  2. ^ ‘BLISS, Joseph’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 1 Sept 2016
  3. ^ MacAndrews and Forbes and the Forbes Family - Wallis Kidd, 2016
  4. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1964
  5. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  6. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1929
  7. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935
  8. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1929
  9. ^ "Women Who Aspire to Sit in Parliament." Illustrated London News [London, England] 4 May 1929: 752. Illustrated London News. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
  10. ^ "By-Elections." Times [London, England] 23 Jan. 1928: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
  11. ^ Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 17 Oct 1924
  12. ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1929
  13. ^ Twentieth Century Local Election Results Volume 1
  14. ^ "Liberal Council." Times [London, England] 12 Feb. 1927: 9. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
  15. ^ Girton College Register: 1869-1946
  16. ^ "By-Elections." Times [London, England] 23 Jan. 1928: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
  17. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1992, FWS Craig
  18. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  19. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  20. ^ "UK General Election results – March 1964". www.politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
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