{{Short description|British politician (1875–1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Use British English|date=February 2017}} '''Levi Collison''' (28 December 1875 – 22 October 1965) was an English art publisher and printer and Liberal Member of Parliament.
==Private life== Levi Collison was born in Preston, Lancashire, and educated at private schools. He married and had two sons and two daughters.<ref name="auto">''Who was Who'', OUP 2007</ref> In 1925, Collison was described as a country gentleman from St Annes on Sea. At that time he resided at Barton Grange, Barton near Preston and he lived there until 1943 when the house was requisitioned by the War Office as a mess for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.content4reprint.com/recreation-and-leisure/travel/destinations/barton-grange-hotel-and-venue-preston-uk.htm|title=Loading...|website=Content4reprint.com|access-date=30 October 2021}}</ref>
==Career== By profession, Collison was a printer and publisher of art books and founded his own company, Collison's Ltd, of which he was Chairman and managing director.<ref>''The Times'', 17 May 1909, p15</ref> He also had other business interests. He was a trustee of Preston Savings Bank and a chairman of a number of companies.<ref name="auto"/> Collison also served as a Justice of the Peace.<ref>[http://www.lantern.lancashire.gov.uk/local_resources/2804/254950.html] {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Politics== === Penrith and Cockermouth by-election=== In 1921, Collison was selected as Liberal candidate for the by-election in Penrith and Cockermouth caused by the resignation of the sitting Coalition Conservative MP and Speaker of the House of Commons, James Lowther. In a tight contest, Collison just failed to gain the seat for the Independent Asquithian Liberals, losing by 31 votes.<ref>F W S Craig, ''British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949''; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, 1949 p316</ref>
===1922-1923=== Collison fought the Penrith and Cockermouth seat again at the 1922 general election. In another straight fight and facing the same Tory candidate as he had at the by-election, Major-General Cecil Lowther, Collison gained the seat by a majority of 378. However, at the general election of 1923 he was unable to hold his seat, losing to the new Conservative candidate Arthur Dixey.<ref>F W S Craig, p316</ref>
===Liberal National=== He did not stand for Parliament again but retained his link with Liberal politics holding the office of Chairman<ref>''The Times'', 8 June 1929, p14</ref> and President <ref>''The Times'', 23 July 1929, p14</ref> of the Preston Liberal Association. However, in the crisis which overtook the Liberal Party after the formation of the National Government in 1931, Collison associated himself with the Liberal National group led by Sir John Simon. He was a founder member of the Liberal National Council in July 1932<ref>''The Times'', 11 July 1932, p12</ref> and later held the office of President of Preston Liberal Nationals.<ref>''The Times'', 4 November 1936, p8</ref>
==Death== Collison died on 22 October 1965, aged 90.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Pcommons1.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231171753/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Pcommons1.htm |archive-date=31 December 2010 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | mr-levi-collison | Levi Collison }}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Penrith and Cockermouth | years = 1922–1923 | before = Cecil Lowther | after = Arthur Dixey }} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Collison, Levi}} Category:1875 births Category:1965 deaths Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:UK MPs 1922–1923 Category:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians Category:Politics of Cumbria Category:Politicians from Preston, Lancashire Category:People from Lytham St Annes Category:Businesspeople from Preston, Lancashire