Norval Helme

{{short description|British politician (1849 - 1932)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

File:Norval_Helme.jpg

Sir Norval Watson Helme (22 September 1849 – 6 March 1932){{Rayment-hc|l|1|date=March 2012}} was an English businessman and Liberal Party politician from Lancaster. He held a series of local political offices before winning a seat in the House of Commons in 1900.

Helme was the son of James Helme, from Lancaster. He was educated at the Lancaster Royal Grammar School, and entered his father's business James Helme and Company, whose Halton Mills manufactured oilcloth, baize and leathercloth.{{cite news

|title=Biographies Of New Members

|date=16 October 1900

|work=The Times

|page=13, col A

|location=London

}} By 1900, he was the senior partner of the company.

He served for many years as a member of Lancaster City Council, becoming an alderman, and served as Mayor of Lancaster from 1896 to 1897.{{cite book

|title=Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1901

|url=https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1901londuoft#page/n114/mode/1up/

|year=1901

|publisher=Dean & Son

|location=London

|pages=69–70}} When Lancashire County Council was created in 1889, he was elected to represent the city of Lancaster, and served on the County Council until at least 1900, having been returned unopposed at each election.

At the 1900 general election Helme was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lancaster division of Lancashire,{{London Gazette

|issue= 27244

|date=6 November 1900

|page=6771

}} defeating by only 44 votes the sitting Conservative MP William Henry Foster.{{cite book

|last=Craig

|first=F. W. S.

|authorlink= F. W. S. Craig

|title=British parliamentary election results 1832–1885

|origyear=1977

|edition= 2nd

|year=1989

|publisher= Parliamentary Research Services

|location=Chichester

|isbn= 0-900178-26-4

|page=320

}} He was re-elected in 1906{{London Gazette

|issue= 27885

|date=13 February 1906

|page=1042

}} with an increased majority of 884 votes (7.2%) over Foster, and held the seat at both the January{{London Gazette

|issue= 28338

|date= 11 February 1910

|page=1032

}} and December elections{{London Gazette

|issue= 28449

|date=23 December 1910

|page=9552

}} in 1910. He was knighted in July 1912.{{London Gazette

|issue= 28626

|date=12 July 1912

|page=5081

}} However, at the 1918, Helme did not receive the Coalition Coupon, and was defeated by the Coalition Conservative candidate Sir Archibald Hunter.{{cite book

|last=Craig

|first=F. W. S.

|authorlink= F. W. S. Craig

|title=British parliamentary election results 1918–1949

|origyear=1969

|edition=3rd

|year=1983

|publisher= Parliamentary Research Services

|location=Chichester

|isbn= 0-900178-06-X

|page=399}}