20 Facts About Leonard Franklin

Sir Leonard Benjamin Franklin OBE was an English barrister, banker and Liberal Party politician, of Jewish descent.

In 1888, Leonard Franklin married Laura Agnes Ladenburg and they had one son and three daughters.

Leonard Franklin was educated at King's College School, London and the Athenee Royale school in Brussels.

Leonard Franklin studied for the law and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1894, although he never practised.

Leonard Franklin was later posted to France to report on the finances of British military hospitals.

Leonard Franklin undertook social work in London and was described as an 'ardent Radical.

Leonard Franklin served as honorary treasurer of the London Radical Candidates' Association, taking a particular interest housing and traffic.

Leonard Franklin first stood for Parliament at the December 1910 general election as Liberal candidate in Paddington North.

Leonard Franklin did not win the seat but he reduced the majority of the sitting Unionist Member of Parliament, Arthur Strauss from 893 to 598 votes.

Leonard Franklin fought the seat again at the 1918 general election but this time, as a supporter of the Independent Asquithian Liberals he was not favoured with the Coalition coupon and lost his deposit.

At the 1922 general election, Leonard Franklin fought St Pancras South East constituency but in a three-cornered contest with Conservative and Labour opponents, he came bottom of the poll.

Leonard Franklin achieved the only Parliamentary win of his career at the 1923 general election.

Leonard Franklin tried to win the seat back at the 1929 general election but again came third in a tight three-way contest, although this time it was the Labour Party which won the seat.

Leonard Franklin again came third, although this time by a wider margin, as the Conservatives took the seat back from Labour as the representatives of the National Government.

Leonard Franklin remained an active supporter of the Liberal Party, playing a prominent role in the activities of the Hackney Central Association, right up until the outbreak of war in 1939.

Leonard Franklin was knighted in the King's Birthday Honours List of 1932 for political and public services, becoming a Knight Bachelor.

Much of the social work which Leonard Franklin undertook was based in the Jewish community in London and he held positions in respect of various synagogues.

Leonard Franklin was a vice-president of the Jewish Workingmen's Club and of the South Hackney Jewish Social and Literary Society.

Leonard Franklin was a strong supporter of the reform of proportional representation and invented a system known as Percentage PR.

Leonard Franklin died suddenly at his home, The Grange, Goudhurst, Kent on 11 December 1944, aged 82.