{{Short description|Liberal party politician and trade unionist}} {{for|the Scottish Labour Party politician|Sam Galbraith}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2017}} [[File:Samuel Galbraith.png|thumb|right|Galbraith in the 1900s]] '''Samuel Galbraith''' JP OBE (4 July 1853 – 10 April 1936) was a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] politician and Trade Unionist in the United Kingdom.
==Background== Galbraith was born in Ballydrain, [[Comber]], [[Ulster]], a son of Samuel Galbraith. He was self educated.<ref>Dod's Parliamentary Companion, 1918</ref> In 1886, he married Helen King Petty. In 1917 he was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire]].<ref>Debrett's House of Commons 1922</ref>
==Career== Galbraith started work as a checkweighman at Browney colliery.<ref>The Great Labour Unrest, Lewis H. Mates</ref> He worked as a Miners' Agent from 1900 to 1915. He became a Secretary of the [[Durham Miners' Association]].<ref>Pitmen Preachers and Politics by Robert Samuel Moore, Robert Moore</ref>
==Politics== Galbraith was an elected member of [[Durham County Council]] from 1888 to 1900 and an appointed [[Alderman]] from 1900 to 1936. He was elected unopposed as [[Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Mid Durham (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Durham]] at a [[1915 Mid Durham by-election|by-election]] in 1915, sponsored by the Durham Miners' Association. When that constituency was abolished for the [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918 general election]], he was selected for the new [[Spennymoor (UK Parliament constituency)|Spennymoor]] seat and again sponsored by the Durham Miners. The Coalition Liberal Chief Whip, [[Freddie Guest]] regarded him as a supporter of the Coalition government. However, the Coalition government did not endorse him or his Labour opponent, but he was still easily re-elected; {{Election box begin | |title=[[1918 United Kingdom general election|General election 1918]]<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918-1949</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate =Samuel Galbraith |votes = 9,443 |percentage = 53.5 |change = n/a }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = [[Joseph Batey]] |votes = 8,196 |percentage = 46.5 |change = n/a }} {{Election box majority| |votes = |percentage = 7.0 |change = n/a }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = 17,639 |percentage = |change = n/a }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Liberal Party (UK) |swing = n/a }} {{Election box end}} After the election he sat on the Liberal benches in opposition to the Coalition government. He did not contest any further elections, and retired from [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] at the [[1922 United Kingdom general election|1922 general election]], aged 69.<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918-1949</ref>
He served as a [[Justice of the Peace]] for the County of Durham.<ref>(1 December 2007). Galbraith, Samuel, (4 July 1853 – 10 April 1936), MP (L) Mid-Durham, 1915–18; Spennymoor Division, 1918–22. WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. Ed. Retrieved 27 Mar. 2019, from http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-209806.</ref> {{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef | before = [[John Wilson (1837–1915)|John Wilson]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Mid Durham (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Durham]] | years = [[1915 Mid Durham by-election|1915]]–[[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918]] }} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}
{{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Spennymoor (UK Parliament constituency)|Spennymoor]] | years = [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918]]–[[1922 United Kingdom general election|1922]] }} {{s-aft | after = [[Joseph Batey]] }} {{s-end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | mr-samuel-galbraith | Samuel Galbraith }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galbraith, Samuel}} [[Category:1853 births]] [[Category:1936 deaths]] [[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]] [[Category:Liberal-Labour (UK) MPs]] [[Category:UK MPs 1910–1918]] [[Category:UK MPs 1918–1922]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]