Mike Magee: Redcar 1920's: Bus driver, TWU activist, chauffeur Fabian MP

[Eamann]

Hello!

I would welcome advice on where I might find out more about the life of my grandfather Michael Magee in Redcar from 1920 to 1930.

Initially Mike worked in Redcar first as a bus driver and then as a mechanic in the bus depot in Dormanstown, between Middlesborough and Redcar (see attached photo).

During his stay in England Mike became deeply involved in trade unionism and in socialist politics.

At some point he became the chauffeur of a Fabian MP. Whether this was a full-time job or a part-time one I do not know.

Mike may have worked for the Transport Workers Union and was also very active in the organisation of the 1926 general strike.

Any suggestions will be very welcome!

[Redroger]

Firstly try looking for a Labour MP who was also a member of the Fabian Society in the time frame you mention; personally I would start with Labour MPs in North East England who were also Fabian Society members. Then if needs be broaden your search from there.

[Roobarb]

Eamann, you might find some help on the Redcar forum:

http://redcar.forumotion.net/forum

It's free to join, there's a gent on there who runs the lifeboat museum who seems to have a good knowledge of local history and people, perhaps he or someone else will be able to help.

Good luck. 

[Eamann]

Thank you both Redroger  and Roobarb for taking the time to reply to me.

Redroger: My problem is that I live in Belgium and I do not know how I could go about finding a list of Labour MP’s from the 1920’s who were members of the Fabian Society.

Do you know of a site that might contain that sort of information?

Roobarb: Thank you for the link to that site. I have just posted my question there.

Best wishes to you both for the New Year!

[Roobarb]

Hope you get some useful replies Eamann. It's a quiet time of the year on the forum so if you don't have any luck within a week or so I'd reply to your own post and bump it up.

Good luck and best wishes for the New Year to you too. 

[Eamann]

Thanks! Will do so!

[Redroger]

Think I got him!!! The list of Labour MPs on Wikipedia is very defective, there being several who I have known personally being absent; plus one who luckily is absent! (Oswald Mosley unfortunately). However; once I went through the list unfortunately the name started with W, so it took some time. But it has to be Sidney Webb, MP Seaham Harbour 1922-1929; 1st Baron Passfield (created 1929), joined the Fabian Society in 1884 shortly after its foundation. If not him, then there are at least 30 others listed in the Wiki who were North East Labour MPs in the 1920s and earlier. Whether or not they were also Fabian Society members is to be determined; but I would be very surprised if NOT Sidney Webb. Much about him on Wikipedia, also try Fabian Society Website.

[Eamann]

Thank you very much Redroger for taking the time to research the Labour MPs and Fabian Society members! I appreciate it very much.

Could you please explain to me why you think Sidney Webb is the most likely person? His constituency was over 40 miles from Redcar. I would have imagined that my grandfather was the chauffeur of a local Redcar MP.

You obviously know the area very well and I am sure you have a good answer!

Best wishes for the New Year!

[Redroger]

 I am no native of the North East, born in Cambridge, brought up in Boston, lived most of my life in Doncaster; main connection with further north holidays in Scarborough and Whitby.
My identification of Sidney Webb is somewhat conjectural; but lets look at what we know:
1) The list of Labour MPs from the 1920s is admitted to be incomplete by Wikipedia and I couldn't find anything better.
2) There was no member for Redcar listed; this could mean that Redcar was not held by Labour; or remember it is quite likely there was no specific Redcar constituency at that time; the town being part of a larger whole; names often change and then recur bearing little relationship to the area they formerly covered.
3) Unemployment in the North East was grim in the 1920s, even worse than now! So I would not be in the least surprised that someone moved 40 miles to get a steady job.
4) Sidney Webb was born 1885, so even then he was 40 years old; and I believe unlikely to have come to terms with things like driving a car. His position as a prominent Fabian, almost a founder member; and MP would suggest to me that he would expect to be chauffeur driven.
For these reasons I believe him to be the most likely candidate.
Until someone on this site comes up with an improvement.