Sir Ernest Jardine, 1st Baronet

Sir Ernest Jardine (1859 – 26 April 1947) was a Nottingham, England, industrialist and businessman. He was a Liberal Unionist and later a Conservative Member of Parliament for East Somerset from 1910 to 1918.[1]

Ernest Jardine
Born	Nottingham
Died	25 April 1947 (aged 87–88) Nottingham
Education	Tudor House School, Nottingham Lycée Impérial, Saint-Omer
Occupation	Industrialist, politician
Political party	Liberal Unionist (until 1912) Conservative (from 1912)
Spouse(s)	Ada Fletcher (d. 1925)
Children	John
Parent(s)	John Jardine

Business interests

Jardine took over father's lace machinery business, John Jardine. He had four factories in Nottingham and others in Draycott and Newark,[1] employing some 2,500-3,000 workers in 1907.[2] Another of his factories in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, provides the reason for his adoption as a parliamentary candidate in that county. His company exported lace-making machinery to the United States, France and Germany.[3]

In 1924, he became the owner of the Barlock Tyewriter Company, set up in Basford.[1] The company later became the Byron Typewriter Company and was taken over by the British Oliver Typewriter Company, under licence from the US Oliver Typewriter Company, in 1948.[4]

He was chairman of the Trent Navigation Company until his death.[5]

Glastonbury Abbey

In 1907, Jardine was associated with the purchase of Glastonbury Abbey on behalf of the Ecclesiastical authorities.[6] The Abbey was offered for sale by auction amid considerable disquiet that it could be purchased by "an American plutocrat". Jardine's bid of £30,000 was successful.[7] Jardine announced that he had no intention of living there, but that he would sell the Abbey to the Church of England for what he had paid.[8]

Politics

In the January 1910 general election, Jardine contested the East Somerset constituency as a Liberal Unionist. He defeated the sitting MP, the Liberal John William Howard Thompson, by 4,997 votes to 3,970.[9]

At the following general election, in December 1910, he again defeated Thompson, by 4,748 votes to 3,875.[10] The Liberal Unionist and Conservative parties merged in 1912.

The constituency was abolished at the 1918 general election which Jardine did not contest. He was made a baronet in 1919 and was High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1928–9.[1]

Personal life

Jardine was educated at Tudor House School in Nottingham and at the Lycée Impérial in Saint-Omer, France. He married Ada née Fletcher She died in 1925. They had one son, John,[1] and a daughter, Iris.[11]

Jardine died on 26 April 1947, aged 87.[1] His estate was valued at £502,340 gross (£480,076 net).[12]

References

1. "Death of Sir E. Jardine". Nottingham Evening Post. 26 April 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
2. "Mr. Ernest Jardine Purchaser of Glastonbury Abbey". Somerset and West of England Advertiser. 17 January 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
   - "Death of Sir E. Jardine". Nottingham Evening Post. 7 June 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Who pays the duty?". Shoreditch Observer. 8 January 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. Beeching, Wilfred A. (1974). Century of the Typewriter. St. Martin's Press. pp. 206–208.
5. "Trent Navigation Co. Chairman". Nottingham Evening Post. 22 May 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "Former M.P.". Wells Journal. 9 May 1947. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Glastonbury Abbey Sold". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 7 June 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "Glastonbury Abbey". Tamworth Herald. 15 June 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
9. "East Somerset Election: Magnificent Unionist Victory". Western Gazette. 21 January 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "East Somerset Election: Mr. Ernest Jardine Again Returned". Western Gazette. 16 December 1910. p. 3. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Captain's Tragic End". Wells Journal. 25 January 1918. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "Sir Ernest Jardine's estate". Nottingham Evening Post. 11 October 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.