James Arthur Dawes

James Arthur Dawes (16 June 1866 – 14 November 1921) was an English solicitor, businessman and Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) from 1910 to 1921.

James Arthur Dawes was the son of Richard Dawes of Castle Hill, Ealing, Middlesex, a solicitor in Angel Court, Throgmorton Street, London. He was educated at Harrow School and University College, Oxford where he gained MA and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees. In 1920 he married Violet Pridmore from Penge in Surrey. They do not appear to have had children.

Dawes qualified as a solicitor in 1891 and was admitted in his father’s firm, Mssrs. Dawes and Sons, in January 1892 He was later a Justice of the Peace for the County of London. From the outset of the First World War, Dawes served with the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve raising to the rank of acting Commander by 1918. He was engaged in mine-sweeping operations and from July 1918 he served at the Admiralty. Unsurprisingly, one of Dawes recreations was yachting.

Dawes had a home in Kennington Park Road in Southwark. He took a strong interest in local affairs and was Chairman of the Vestry of Newington, the equivalent of a Parish council, from 1897-1900. Dawes was then the first Mayor of the Borough of Southwark from 1900–1901 and Deputy Mayor the following year. He was re-elected Mayor in 1913-14 and 1914-15. He also served as a founder member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903-1904. He was later elected as a member of the London County Council for the Progressive Party for Newington Walworth for various years between 1906 and 1913. In 1911 Dawes was appointed to the Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament to consider the Bill promoted by the Metropolitan Water Board to construct a series of new works and reservoirs on the River Thames at Staines. From 1912-14 he was Chairman of the Insurance Committee for the County of London, created to administer the medical aspects of the National Insurance Act of 1911, which for the first time established compulsory contributory insurance against illness and unemployment for workers. Dawes Street, London SE 17 was named after him to commemorate his appointment as the first Mayor of the Borough of Southwark.

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