As the writer to the Churchill chat group surmised, the error is in the Rhodes James "Complete Speeches", although the inadvertent reference in the June 28 Election Address (at p. 42, not p. 30) had already been preceded by many correct references to Mr. Robert Ascroft (not Ashcroft), including a good note on p. 32, preceding Churchill's Election Address of June 24.
Ascroft, an Oldham solicitor, was from 1895 one of the two sitting members for the two-member constituency of Oldham. In fact, he and his Conservative co-member, J.F. Oswald, had run first and second in the election of 1895. In what came to be a sad irony, early in 1899 Ascroft sought Churchill as a potential Conservative candidate to replace the ailing Oswald. Then, in April 1899, Ascroft sought, via Churchill, to have the Duke of Marlborough deliver a speech in the constituency. By May, it was arranged that the meeting would take place on June 21 and that Churchill would also speak. On May 24, Churchill wrote Ascroft that he was "vy much obliged to you for giving me the opportunity of making the acquaintance of the Oldham Conservatives but -- if I understand rightly -- there is to be no question raised at this juncture of any possible candidature for the second seat." As things turned out, Oswald did resign due to ill health but Ascroft (who was only born in 1847) actually died prior to the anticipated June 21 speaking date and Churchill was rapidly adopted for Oldham, together with James Mawdsley, who was thought to be a star Conservative candidate in the riding. In the end, they ran third and fourth in the 1899 polling. Churchill's debut in the House of Commons had to wait for another day. Ron Cohen At 09:14 PM 02/11/2009, you wrote: >In the "Complete Speeches" by Robert Rhodes James,p.30 Churchill >states in an Election Address June 28, 1899, > >"It is a very great surprise to me to find myself asked to stand as a >candidate because it is now more than six months since I first >received the first invitation from the Conservative Association in >Oldham. I was then in India, and "Mr Asquith" wrote me asking with a >view to my replacing Mr. Oswald when he should be compelled to retire >through ill-health." > >Is that H.H. Asquith, future PM? If so, why would he be asking >Churchill, a Conservative/Tory democrat to run against the LIberal >candidates? > >Or, is this a misprint as other sources state it was a "Mr. Ashcroft" >who asked Churchill to run? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
