Alfred Baldwin

Who was Alfred Baldwin?

Alfred Baldwin was an English businessman and Conservative Party Member of Parliament. He was the father of Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Prime Minister.

Baldwin was the twelfth and posthumously-born child of George Pearce Baldwin and Sarah Chalkey Stanley. He started work at the Wilden Iron and Tin Plate Company at Wilden, which, in 1840, had been taken over by his uncle Enoch Baldwin, who ran the business with his nephews, Pearce and William, trading as E.P.& W. Baldwin of Wilden. In 1879, Alfred and his brothers dissolved the partnership. Alfred then moved into Wilden House and took over the Wilden Works, changing the name of the business to Baldwins Ltd. As well as being an ironmaster, Alfred also became a director and chairman of the Great Western Railway.

At the 1892 general election, Baldwin was elected as MP for Bewdley in Worcestershire, holding the seat until his death, when he was succeeded by his only child, Stanley Baldwin, who later became prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Other public offices held by Alfred Baldwin were those of Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire, JP for Worcestershire and Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire.