Sydney Gedge
Sydney Gedge was a British Conservative politician and prominent lay member of the Church of England.
Early life and education
Gedge was born on 16 October in North Runcton, Norfolk. He was the eldest son of the Reverend Sydney Gedge. He received his education at King Edward's School, Birmingham and later attended Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, He graduated in 1854 with a first-class degree in the Moral Science Tripos.Legal career
Gedge became a solicitor and served as a senior partner in Gedge, Fisher & Gedge, a law firm. In 1870, the firm became solicitors to the London School Board, and Gedge held that position of solicitor to the board for twenty years.Political career
Gedge made his first attempt at parliamentary election in 1880 as a candidate for Cambridge, but was unsuccessful. He contested Luton as a conservative candidate in 1885 but was defeated.In 1886 he was elected as one of two Conservative Members of Parliament for Stockport, serving until his defeat in the 1892 general election. He returned to the House of Commons in 1895 as the MP for Walsall, defeating the sitting Liberal Arthur Hayter. However, in the 1900 general election Hayter regained the Walsall seat, ending Gedge's parliamentary career.
Beyond parliament, Gedge remained active in local governance. In November 1900, he was elected member of the London School Board. In 1901, he ran for the London County Council but was unsuccessful.