359:, Birmingham in 1877. Schnadhorst's achievement in keeping the NLF Gladstonian rather than Chamberlainite in 1886, when the party split on the issue of Irish Home Rule and Birmingham followed Chamberlain into the Liberal Unionist fold, was of considerable importance to the Liberal Party. He reorganised the NLF to make it more responsive to the needs of local associations, so encouraging affiliations. In 1886, he also agreed to become the secretary of the Liberal Central Association, and revolutionised the Association's conduct of elections, the improvements being reflected in a series of favourable by-election results at the end of the 1880s.
33:
319:
372:. As the 19th century wore on, the role of the LCA changed from that of a members' association to that of a Liberal Whips' Office. It put local Liberal Associations in touch with potential candidates and made grants of money to help with elections. It had no policy role but supporters of various factions within the party did try to capture the offices of the LCA from time to time, most notably in the dissensions in the party over
178:, he was keenly interested in improving himself and his town. He involved himself in the civic life of Birmingham. He served as secretary to the Central Nonconformist Committee set up in Birmingham to oppose Church influence in education. He was also an active member of a number of Birmingham civic and local improvement societies. Through these groups and the close connection between nonconformity,
457:. The collections consist of scrap albums of and relating to Francis Schnadhorst and illuminated addresses presented to him. There is also correspondence and other private papers principally relating to his activities as secretary to the Birmingham Liberal Association, to the National Liberal Federation and to the Liberal Central Association, 1867–1901. His correspondents include
286:(NLF), and became its first secretary (with Chamberlain as president, and Harris as chairman). The Federation, which was set up for educational and propagandist purposes and co-ordinated the work of the several hundred Liberal associations in England and Wales, became a great political force and was largely responsible for Liberal victories of
368:
in 1874 and re-modelled its structure and purpose to become the "central medium of communication with and between the Party throughout the whole kingdom in aid of and in connection with local organisation". The chairman of the LCA was originally the Leader of the
Liberal MPs but by the end of the 19th century it was the Liberal
367:
On 21 February 1860 twenty
Liberal MPs had formed the Liberal Registration Association to promote general co-operation between MPs and assisting in the process of registering electors in constituencies where the Liberals were not well-organised. It changed its name to the Liberal Central Association
411:
on 2 January 1900. He had been in declining health since the early 1890s. In 1894 he had suffered a mental breakdown leading to years of illness, including the suffering of convulsions. In
December 1899 he was confined to bed and he never recovered. He also suffered increasingly from deafness as he
384:
Schnadhorst undertook other public duties, chairing
Liberal meetings and rallies and in connection with campaigns and causes promoted by the Liberal Party. For example, he was elected one of the Vice-Presidents of the Free Land League in 1886. However, he resigned all party offices in 1893, almost
157:
Francis
Schnadhorst was the son of a draper and hosier of German descent who carried on business in Bull Street, Birmingham. His father died when he was very young and he was brought up by his mother and his paternal grandfather who owned a tailoring business in Moor Street. He was educated at
338:
In 1884 Schnadhorst resigned his post of secretary of the
Birmingham Liberal Association to concentrate full-time on the NLF. As secretary, he became the link between the leadership and the constituency associations and hence the key figure in rebuilding the party following the
315:. The NLF held an annual conference which was regarded as being representative of the opinion of the party's rank and file. Chamberlain described it as "a really Liberal Parliament...elected by universal suffrage and with some regard for fair distribution of political power".
216:
annual fee, meaning that political participation was no longer the preserve of the traditional ruling classes. In 1868 the
Association had 400 members, but by 1886 it had become known as "the Two Thousand". Its existence enabled the Liberals to fight general, town council and
232:
Liberal committee. He was himself briefly a member of the
Council for St Mary's Ward in 1872, but was most effective as secretary of the Birmingham Liberal Association from 1873 onwards. The Liberals had already been electorally successful in Birmingham, particularly at the
203:
declared the corporation of the City of
Birmingham in 1889 and the first Lord Mayor was elected in 1896. The local Liberal Party was compelled to rethink its structure in response to this civic expansion, and in anticipation of the additional electors enfranchised by the
270:, both of which were subsequently won by the Liberals. However he did not wish to enter Parliament. He said he felt he could better promote the cause of Liberalism through his administrative work for the party. In 1890 he also turned down the offer of a seat in
673:
225:– a name initially coined by detractors as a term of abuse, but afterwards adopted by the Liberals themselves. As an example of political efficiency the Caucus could not be rivalled, and this was due in large part to Schnadhorst's administrative abilities.
140:
in winnable seats, but he found his true metier was in political organisation and administration both in his home town as secretary of the highly successful
Birmingham Liberal Association from 1867 to 1884, and nationally as secretary of the newly formed
975:
420:
Schnadhorst was married to Mary Anne Thomas (1845/6–1912), daughter of Edward Thomas, a Birmingham provision merchant. The couple had two sons and a daughter. Their youngest son, Frank Gladstone Schnadhorst volunteered to fight in the
497:
Library, Special Collections. Also deposited there and relevant to Schnadhorst are the minute books of the Liberal Central Association, 1860–1914, and the Proceedings of the Council of the National Liberal Federation, 1879–1939.
674:
http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/cgi-bin/deadsearch.cgi?serverid=VSPOKES-ead-birminghamspcoll&bool=AND&numreq=1&fieldcont1=173&format=full&fieldidx1=docid&scanposition=middle&firstrec=1&noframes=on
302:
and an address at a banquet in 1887, following the removal of the National Liberal Federation from Birmingham to London. The formation of the NLF was the most important development in Liberal Party organisation after the
249:
may have provided the political leadership to make Birmingham the "gas and water" socialist capital of Victorian civic life, but behind the scenes Schnadhorst was "the organising genius of the Birmingham association".
976:
http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/cgi-bin/deadsearch.cgi?serverid=VSPOKES-ead-bristol&bool=AND&numreq=1&fieldcont1=19&format=full&fieldidx1=docid&scanposition=middle&firstrec=1&noframes=on
195:
Before the end of the 19th century the Liberal party's championing of reform and improvement had created in Birmingham a model of civic government. The 1885 Redistribution Act created seven
145:
from 1877 to 1893. He was famously described as "the spectacled, sallow, sombre" Birmingham draper who within a short period of time was to establish himself through the Birmingham Liberal
1084:
274:
but by this time his health was deteriorating; he had already had to have some time off work on medical advice and had undertaken a holiday voyage to Australia a few years earlier.
385:
certainly due to declining health, even though he was still only 53 years old. His achievement was recognised in many quarters and he earned the description in the publication
228:
Schnadhorst first became involved in political activity at the Birmingham election of 1867 when he took on the roles of vice-chairman and secretary to the St. George's
1112:
692:
493:
There are also manuscript papers relating to Francis Schnadhorst and the organisation of the Liberal Party, 1881–1962, in the Liberal Party collection in
1117:
1127:
271:
221:
elections more effectively and successfully. This party structure was what subsequently became known, both locally and nationally, as the Liberal
1122:
263:
267:
889:
1137:
1132:
43:
474:
304:
295:
291:
287:
259:
234:
209:
159:
951:
849:
792:
282:
In 1877, along with Joseph Chamberlain and William Harris, Schnadhorst was instrumental in the establishment of the
137:
440:
minister in east London who stood for election as a Liberal on a number of occasions to the London School Board.
170:
When Schnadhorst was sixteen his grandfather died, and Francis took over the family business. However, like many
322:"Farewell to the Caucus": 1886 cartoon of Schnadhorst leaving Birmingham on a London-bound train, following the
689:
175:
212:, in 1868: Schnadhorst succeeded Harris as secretary in 1873. Membership was open to anyone able to pay the
658:
208:. The Birmingham Liberal Association was established in 1865, and radically reorganised by its secretary,
1074:
876:
283:
142:
351:. One of Schnadhorst's jobs was to provide speakers who would draw crowds at Liberal rallies and it was
229:
601:
340:
323:
478:
454:
425:
with Kitchener's Fighting Scouts and reached the rank of Lieutenant. He was wounded in action near
344:
327:
312:
218:
352:
238:
213:
196:
133:
784:
772:
348:
32:
841:
834:
299:
298:. In recognition of his services to the Liberal Party, Schnadhorst was presented with 10,000
38:
594:
1107:
1102:
893:
8:
430:
1024:
1016:
777:
589:
494:
246:
129:
93:
1028:
845:
788:
437:
386:
308:
182:
and Liberalism, Schnadhorst was drawn into political activity for the Liberal Party.
992:
Birmingham Working People: A History of the Labour Movement in Birmingham, 1650–1914
1142:
1041:
1008:
653:
466:
318:
724:
696:
453:
Schnadhorst's papers are mostly deposited at the Cadbury Research Library at the
400:
205:
1045:
404:
222:
146:
1096:
470:
171:
999:
McGill, Barry (1962). "Francis Schnadhorst and Liberal Party Organization".
690:
http://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/item_single.php?item_id=30&item=history
482:
356:
200:
836:
Loulou: selected extracts from the journals of Lewis Harcourt (1880–1895)
462:
458:
373:
1020:
515:
408:
369:
331:
125:
82:
412:
got older. His funeral was held at Putney Cemetery on 6 January 1900.
391:
as the "chief organiser and adviser of the Liberal party, 1885–1892".
179:
1012:
426:
422:
242:
199:, more than doubling Birmingham's representation in Parliament. A
237:, but Schnadhorst bolstered the party's organisation to oust the
617:
Self-help and Civic Culture: Citizenship in Victorian Birmingham
840:. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p.
330:. His luggage includes a scroll marked "Caucus"; a number of
711:
The Rise and Fall of Liberal Government in Victorian Britain
262:, Schnadhorst was invited to stand in two Birmingham seats,
559:
557:
555:
553:
1036:
Taylor, Eric (2013) . "Schnadhorst, Francis (1840–1900)".
433:
and died of his wounds on 22 October 1901 aged 21 years.
550:
149:
as one of the most brilliant organisers in the country.
253:
245:
majorities on the town council and the school board.
651:
520:
Serious Pursuits: The Collected Essays of Asa Briggs
833:
776:
593:
355:who addressed the inaugural meeting of the NLF at
596:The Growth of the British Party System: 1640–1923
1094:
403:, described in the terminology of the day as a
994:. Integrated Publishing Services. p. 229.
729:Sir John Brunner, Radical Plutocrat, 1842–1919
688:at the Liberal Democrat History Group website
362:
277:
132:politician. He briefly held elected office on
588:
1040:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
663:. Vol. 12, pt 2. Routledge. p. 58.
522:. University of Illinois Press. p. 267.
307:which had seen the Liberals lose office and
1113:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
1118:Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands
436:Francis' brother Edward Schnadhorst was a
136:, and was offered the chance to stand for
31:
1128:Councillors in Birmingham, West Midlands
741:
334:; and a box of "wire pulling machinery".
317:
124:(24 August 1840 – 2 January 1900) was a
1038:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
989:
831:
779:History of the Liberal Party, 1895–1970
771:
756:
614:
394:
152:
1095:
1035:
998:
877:The Malvern Register, 1865–1904, 1905.
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
514:
713:. Yale University Press. p. 275.
708:
1123:History of Birmingham, West Midlands
723:
461:, William Gladstone, Arthur Morley,
783:. Sidgwick & Jackson. pp.
652:Handcock, W. D.; Young, George M.;
526:
13:
485:and many other political figures.
254:The chance of a Parliamentary seat
14:
1154:
759:The Liberal Ascendancy, 1830–1886
744:Hilaire Belloc, Edwardian Radical
1138:English people of German descent
1133:19th-century English politicians
415:
160:King Edward's School, Birmingham
969:
952:"UoB Calmview5: Search results"
944:
932:
920:
908:
882:
870:
858:
825:
813:
801:
765:
750:
742:McCarthy, John Patrick (1979).
735:
717:
701:
678:
667:
448:
832:Jackson, Patrick, ed. (2006).
645:
632:
623:
608:
582:
569:
507:
379:
1:
746:. Liberty Press. p. 182.
501:
190:
16:English draper and politician
659:English Historical Documents
197:single-member constituencies
7:
1075:National Liberal Federation
990:Barnsby, George J. (1989).
363:Liberal Central Association
284:National Liberal Federation
278:National Liberal Federation
185:
143:National Liberal Federation
10:
1159:
983:
879:Retrieved 24 January 2010.
731:. CUP Archive. p. 60.
488:
324:split in the Liberal Party
1081:
1071:
1063:
1058:
1001:Journal of Modern History
761:. Macmillan. p. 102.
615:Rodrick, Anne B. (2004).
443:
347:and the defection of the
165:
115:
107:
99:
89:
72:
57:
52:
30:
23:
1059:Party political offices
709:Parry, Jonathan (1993).
479:Henry Campbell-Bannerman
455:University of Birmingham
399:Schnadhorst died at the
313:Number 10 Downing Street
1051:(subscription required)
757:Jenkins, T. A. (1994).
686:The Newcastle Programme
619:. Ashgate. p. 141.
475:William Vernon Harcourt
353:William Ewart Gladstone
1046:10.1093/ref:odnb/37938
695:1 October 2006 at the
654:Douglas, David Charles
473:, Joseph Chamberlain,
335:
321:
305:1874 general election
260:1885 general election
235:1868 general election
174:tradesman and ardent
810:, 30 September 1886.
395:Ill-health and death
272:Newcastle-under-Lyme
153:Family and education
956:calmview.bham.ac.uk
590:Bulmer-Thomas, Ivor
577:The Annual Register
431:Orange River Colony
128:draper and English
122:Francis Schnadhorst
25:Francis Schnadhorst
941:, 3 November 1888.
929:, 26 October 1901.
495:Bristol University
336:
247:Joseph Chamberlain
134:Birmingham Council
1091:
1090:
1082:Succeeded by
1073:Secretary of the
917:, 24 October 1901
867:, 9 January 1900.
600:. Baker. p.
566:, 5 January 1900.
438:Congregationalist
349:Liberal Unionists
309:Benjamin Disraeli
119:
118:
1150:
1064:Preceded by
1056:
1055:
1052:
1049:
1032:
995:
978:
973:
967:
966:
964:
962:
948:
942:
936:
930:
924:
918:
912:
906:
905:
903:
901:
896:on 29 March 2008
892:. Archived from
886:
880:
874:
868:
862:
856:
855:
839:
829:
823:
817:
811:
805:
799:
798:
782:
769:
763:
762:
754:
748:
747:
739:
733:
732:
725:Koss, Stephen E.
721:
715:
714:
705:
699:
682:
676:
671:
665:
664:
649:
643:
636:
630:
627:
621:
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612:
606:
605:
599:
586:
580:
573:
567:
561:
548:
545:
524:
523:
511:
467:Henry Labouchere
103:Mary Anne Thomas
79:
67:
65:
53:Personal details
35:
21:
20:
1158:
1157:
1153:
1152:
1151:
1149:
1148:
1147:
1093:
1092:
1087:
1078:
1069:
1050:
986:
981:
974:
970:
960:
958:
950:
949:
945:
937:
933:
925:
921:
913:
909:
899:
897:
888:
887:
883:
875:
871:
863:
859:
852:
830:
826:
818:
814:
806:
802:
795:
770:
766:
755:
751:
740:
736:
722:
718:
706:
702:
697:Wayback Machine
683:
679:
672:
668:
656:, eds. (1996).
650:
646:
637:
633:
628:
624:
613:
609:
587:
583:
575:James Dodsley,
574:
570:
562:
551:
546:
527:
512:
508:
504:
491:
451:
446:
418:
401:Priory Hospital
397:
382:
365:
345:Irish Home Rule
328:Irish Home Rule
280:
256:
206:1867 Reform Act
193:
188:
168:
155:
90:Political party
81:
77:
63:
61:
48:
41:" published in
37:Caricature by "
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1156:
1146:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1089:
1088:
1083:
1080:
1070:
1065:
1061:
1060:
1054:
1053:
1033:
1013:10.1086/238994
996:
985:
982:
980:
979:
968:
943:
931:
919:
907:
881:
869:
857:
850:
824:
812:
800:
793:
764:
749:
734:
716:
700:
677:
666:
644:
631:
622:
607:
581:
568:
549:
525:
505:
503:
500:
490:
487:
450:
447:
445:
442:
417:
414:
405:lunatic asylum
396:
393:
381:
378:
364:
361:
332:string puppets
279:
276:
255:
252:
210:William Harris
192:
189:
187:
184:
176:nonconformists
167:
164:
154:
151:
117:
116:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
80:(aged 59)
76:2 January 1900
74:
70:
69:
68:24 August 1840
59:
55:
54:
50:
49:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1155:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1086:
1085:Robert Hudson
1077:
1076:
1068:
1062:
1057:
1047:
1043:
1039:
1034:
1030:
1026:
1022:
1018:
1014:
1010:
1006:
1002:
997:
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988:
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957:
953:
947:
940:
935:
928:
923:
916:
911:
895:
891:
885:
878:
873:
866:
861:
853:
851:9780838641033
847:
843:
838:
837:
828:
821:
816:
809:
804:
796:
794:9780283484773
790:
786:
781:
780:
774:
768:
760:
753:
745:
738:
730:
726:
720:
712:
704:
698:
694:
691:
687:
684:Tony Little,
681:
675:
670:
662:
660:
655:
648:
641:
635:
626:
618:
611:
603:
598:
597:
591:
585:
579:; 1901 p. 99.
578:
572:
565:
560:
558:
556:
554:
544:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
521:
517:
510:
506:
499:
496:
486:
484:
480:
476:
472:
471:Lord Rosebery
468:
464:
460:
456:
441:
439:
434:
432:
428:
424:
416:Personal life
413:
410:
406:
402:
392:
390:
389:
377:
375:
371:
360:
358:
354:
350:
346:
342:
333:
329:
325:
320:
316:
314:
310:
306:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
275:
273:
269:
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261:
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248:
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226:
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211:
207:
202:
198:
183:
181:
177:
173:
163:
161:
150:
148:
144:
139:
135:
131:
130:Liberal Party
127:
123:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
95:
92:
88:
84:
75:
71:
60:
56:
51:
46:
45:
40:
34:
29:
22:
19:
1072:
1067:New position
1066:
1037:
1007:(1): 19–39.
1004:
1000:
991:
971:
959:. Retrieved
955:
946:
938:
934:
926:
922:
914:
910:
898:. Retrieved
894:the original
884:
872:
864:
860:
835:
827:
819:
815:
807:
803:
778:
773:Douglas, Roy
767:
758:
752:
743:
737:
728:
719:
710:
703:
685:
680:
669:
657:
647:
639:
634:
629:McGill 1962.
625:
616:
610:
595:
584:
576:
571:
563:
547:Taylor 2013.
519:
509:
492:
483:Cecil Rhodes
452:
435:
419:
398:
387:
383:
366:
357:Bingley Hall
337:
281:
257:
239:Conservative
227:
219:school board
214:one shilling
201:Royal decree
194:
169:
156:
121:
120:
78:(1900-01-02)
42:
18:
1108:1900 deaths
1103:1840 births
900:21 December
890:"Unit Info"
822:, OUP 2007.
820:Who was Who
661:, 1874–1914
516:Briggs, Asa
463:John Morley
459:John Bright
380:Resignation
374:imperialism
258:Before the
44:Vanity Fair
1097:Categories
1079:1877–1893
961:26 January
842:307 (note)
707:Quoted in
513:Quoted in
502:References
449:Birmingham
409:Roehampton
370:Chief Whip
311:return to
191:Birmingham
138:Parliament
126:Birmingham
83:Roehampton
64:1840-08-24
1029:143926079
939:The Times
927:The Times
915:The Times
865:The Times
808:The Times
642:, p. 141.
638:Rodrick,
564:The Times
388:Who's Who
180:self-help
172:Victorian
85:, England
775:(1971).
727:(1970).
693:Archived
640:op. cit.
592:(1965).
518:(1985).
427:Heilbron
423:Boer War
243:Anglican
186:Politics
108:Children
47:in 1892.
1143:Drapers
1021:1874816
984:Sources
489:Bristol
300:guineas
94:Liberal
1027:
1019:
848:
791:
444:Papers
294:, and
223:Caucus
166:Career
147:caucus
100:Spouse
1025:S2CID
1017:JSTOR
785:11–17
407:, at
343:over
341:split
326:over
264:South
39:Stuff
963:2021
902:2008
846:ISBN
789:ISBN
296:1892
292:1885
288:1880
268:East
266:and
241:and
230:Ward
73:Died
58:Born
1042:doi
1009:doi
602:121
1099::
1023:.
1015:.
1005:34
1003:.
954:.
844:.
787:.
552:^
528:^
481:,
477:,
469:,
465:,
429:,
376:.
290:,
162:.
1048:.
1044::
1031:.
1011::
965:.
904:.
854:.
797:.
604:.
111:3
66:)
62:(
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