14 Facts About Walter Forrest

Sir Walter Forrest was a British Liberal, later Liberal National politician and businessman.

Walter Forrest was the son of Sir William Croft Forrest, a textile manufacturer of Aldringham, Roundhay, a district of Leeds.

Walter Forrest remarried in 1915, his second wife being Mary Macduff from Sheffield.

Walter Forrest later developed business interests in a number of companies, including investment trusts and insurance as well as heavy industry.

President of Pudsey Liberal Association in the 1890s, Walter Forrest was a member of Pudsey Town Council in Yorkshire between 1900 and 1919, serving as Mayor from 1909 to 1912 and was later an Alderman.

Walter Forrest held the seat until the 1922 general election when he was defeated by Tom Smith the Labour candidate.

Walter Forrest tried unsuccessfully to re-enter Parliament at the 1923 general election as Liberal candidate for Batley but he won that constituency at the 1924 general election.

Walter Forrest lost the seat in 1929, again to Labour.

In 1922 Walter Forrest had briefly been Parliamentary private secretary to the Postmaster-General.

In 1931 Walter Forrest joined the Conservative Party, citing his loss of faith in the policy of Free Trade in a letter he sent to Stanley Baldwin but he later switched to the Tories' Liberal National allies.

Walter Forrest was knighted for political and public service in the 1935 New Year Honours, becoming a Knight Bachelor.

Walter Forrest was always proud of his Yorkshire birth and heritage.

Walter Forrest was of the Society of Yorkshiremen in London and chaired the Yorkshire Society.

Walter Forrest is buried in Pudsey cemetery along with his father and his second wife, Mary.