Edward Anthony Strauss

Edward Anthony Strauss (7 December 1862 – 25 March 1939) was an English corn, grain and hop merchant of German-Jewish background. He was a Liberal, later Liberal National Member of Parliament.

Edward Strauss was born in Highbury in London, the son of Joseph Strauss, a merchant from Southwark. He was educated at King's College London and at overseas institutions. He never married.

At an early age he took over his father’s business together with his brother. By 1910 he was described as a hop merchant in Southwark.

Strauss was adopted as Liberal candidate for the Northern or Abingdon Division of Berkshire in February 1905. At that time he had an address in Abingdon. He gained the seat for the Liberals at the 1906 general election but lost in January 1910. However he was soon adopted as Parliamentary candidate for Southwark West. Richard Causton had been Liberal MP for the constituency from 1888 to January 1910, when he lost to Conservative candidate William Henry Dunn. When Causton announced he did not intend to fight again Strauss replaced him and won the seat back from Dunn by the narrow margin of 18 votes, after a recount. At the time of this victory, Strauss was described as a hop merchant in Southwark who took a prominent interest in the work of the Hops Committee (a Parliamentary Select Committee which considered questions relating to hop growing, production and consumption). He was acknowledged as an authority on agricultural questions. and was particularly interested in the plight of smallholders and the promotion of their rights.

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