Thomas William Mercer

Thomas William Mercer (20 July 1884 – 3 March 1947) was a labour and co-operative movement official and journalist.

Born in Nutfield, Surrey, Mercer worked in a grocery from the age of twelve, then later undertook an apprenticeship as a grocer in Croydon. On completing the apprenticeship, he found work with the Reigate Industrial Society, a local co-operative, rising to become a manager before moving to run the Epsom Co-operative Society, then on to Plymouth, where he ran the local co-operative's education department. While there, he acted as election agent to William Thomas Gay, who stood unsuccessfully in Plymouth Sutton at the 1918 UK general election, and a by-election in 1919.[1]

Later in 1919, Mercer began working at the newly established Co-operative College in Manchester. He stood as a Labour Co-operative candidate in Manchester Moss Side at the 1922 UK general election, and Mossley at the 1924 UK general election, but was not elected.[1][2] Instead, he became editor of the Co-operative Review, and spent the rest of his working life as a journalist on the Co-operative News and Reynolds News. He was also being active in both the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks and the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees.[1]

In his spare time, Mercer wrote Towards a Co-operative Commonwealth, and served on the committee of the Workers Educational Association.[1]

References
  1. Joyce Bellamy, "Mercer, Thomas William (1884-1947)", Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.I, pp.238-239
  2. The Labour Who's Who (1927), p.150
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