Lees Knowles

Who was Lees Knowles?

Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet, was a British barrister, military historian and Conservative politician.

He was the son of John Knowles and Elizabeth Lees of Green Bank, Oldham, Lancashire whose family owned Andrew Knowles and Sons, collieries in the Irwell Valley. He was educated at Rugby School and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a prominent athlete at both institutions and became president of the Cambridge University Athletics Club. He studied law, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1882.

He was involved in Unionist politics, and stood unsuccessfully for the Conservatives at Leigh in the 1885 general election.

In the following year, another general election was held, and Knowles was returned as Member of Parliament for Salford West. From 1887 to 1892 he held an appointment as unpaid parliamentary secretary to Charles Ritchie, President of the Local Government Board. He held a similar post when Ritchie became President of the Board of Trade in 1895. From 1896 to 1906 he was Second Church Estates Commissioner. In 1903 he was created a baronet, "of Westwood in the County of Lancaster".