{{short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Use British English|date=April 2017}} '''Sir Joseph Leigh''' (1841 – 22 September 1908) was a British Liberal Party politician and cotton spinner.
==Background== He was the eldest son of Thomas Leigh, cotton spinner at Meadow Mill in Stockport. He was educated at Stockport Grammar School. He married in 1868, Alice Ann Adamson. They had four sons and two daughters. He was knighted in 1894. He was also made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, in France.<ref>Debrett's House of Commons 1901.</ref>
==Civic career== He was a member, latterly an Alderman of the Borough of Stockport Council for 29 years. He served as the borough's Mayor from 1885 to 1889. He also served as a Justice of the Peace for Cheshire and Stockport. He was made an Honourable Freeman of the Borough of Stockport. He was Chairman and promoter of Stockport Technical School. He was a Director of the Manchester Ship Canal.<ref>Debrett's House of Commons 1901.</ref>
==Political career== At parliamentary elections he contested, as a Liberal party candidate, the dual member seat of Stockport in 1885, 1886, 1892, 1895 and 1900. He sat as Liberal MP for Stockport from 1892 to 1895 and from 1900 to 1906. {{Election box begin | title=General election 1900 Stockport<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.</ref> Electorate 12,386}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = '''Sir Joseph Leigh''' |votes = 5,666 |percentage = 26.5 |change = +1.8 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Beresford Valentine Melville |votes = 5,377 |percentage = 25.2 |change = -0.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = G Green |votes = 5,200 |percentage = 24.4 |change = +1.6 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Dr A P Hillier |votes = 5,098 |percentage = 23.9 |change = -3.2 }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = |percentage = 87.6 |change = -3.8 }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 568 |percentage = 2.6 |change = }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 177 |percentage = 0.8 |change = }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = }} {{Election box gain with party link| |winner = Liberal Party (UK) |loser = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = }} {{Election box end}} He stood down at the General Election of January 1906. He did not stand for parliament again.<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F. W. S.</ref>
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Stockport | years = 1892 – January 1895 | with = Louis John Jennings then George Whiteley | before = Sydney Gedge | after = Beresford Valentine Melville }} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Stockport | years = 1900 – January 1906 | with = Beresford Valentine Melville | before = George Whiteley | after = James Duckworth }} {{s-end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh, Joseph}} Category:1841 births Category:1908 deaths Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:UK MPs 1900–1906 Category:UK MPs 1892–1895 Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Stockport