Birth Certificate - Father's Occupation

[KatieC]

I have a birth certificate from Swansea, where the father's occupation is listed as 'Labour Agent (Political)'.  Can anyone tell me what kind of occupation that is?  I was always told he was in the 'house of lords'.  Does this seem right?

[Arranroots]

It sounds as though he worked as the agent of the Parliamentary candidate (or Member of Parliament) for the Labour Party in that constituency.

It would be more likely that he would reach the House of Lords (the Upper House of the British Parliament) after being an MP himself, but he might have been an hereditary peer or rewarded for his endeavours in some field by being ennobled.

Have you tried putting his name into a search engine?  If he was indeed a peer then Burkes Peerage would have details.

kind regards, Arranroots 

[behindthefrogs]

Arranroots has probably given you the correct answer, but can you give us the date of the birth certificate as I am a bit worried that the Labour party is a fairly modern party.

It is a good idea on rootschat to always give names and dates, preferably with the name in the title.  You will be surprised what unexpected extra information you can get as a result.

David

[KatieC]

Thanks, I checked Burkes Peerage prior to getting a copy of the birth certificate and I didnt find anything.

Here's the particulars:

Where and when: 22 June 1921 Bay Street Danygraig U.D. (no idea what UD stands for)
Name: Dennis Lawson
Sex: Boy
Name and surname of father: Arthur Lawson Caines
Name and surname of mother: Beatrice Caines formerly Hobbs
Occupation of Father: Labour Agent (Political)

[Arranroots]

Well, I can tell you that U.D. stands for Urban District!

A 

[behindthefrogs]

The Labour Party really got going around 1915 and so it does seem likely that he could have been the agent for a parliamentary candididate probably for their second government which I think was 1923.  The first was in 1917 after the Liberal party collapsed.  He could have been the agent for the labour candidates in the local Urban District council elections but that seems much less likely as it wouldn't be a full time job.

I would suggest that you find out what the local constituency was, and is now, and write to the local labour party to see what they can tell you about their agents.  I would advise leaving it until after the local elections.

David