James Mellor Paulton

Who was James Mellor Paulton?

James Mellor Paulton was a journalist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1910.

Paulton was the son of Abraham Walter Paulton of Bolton, and his wife Martha Mellor, daughter of James Mellor, of Liverpool. His father was the first editor of the Manchester Examiner. Paulton was educated at London International College and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was admitted at Inner Temple on 9 November 1878 but became a journalist. He was war correspondent for the Manchester Examiner in 1884 when he reported on the campaign in Egypt. He was present at Battle of El Teb in 1884.

At the 1885 general election Paulton was elected as Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland. He was private Secretary to James Bryce and Hugh Childers in the Home Office in 1886, and assistant private secretary to H. H. Asquith from 1893 to 1895. He held his seat until he retired from the House of Commons at the January 1910 election.

Paulton was assistant paymaster-general at the Supreme Court from 1909 to 1921