Joshua Ritson

Joshua Ritson CBE (16 June 1874 in Farlam – 5 February 1955 in Sunderland)  was a British Labour politician who served as member of parliament (MP) for the City of Durham. He was elected in 1922, unseated in 1931, and re-elected in 1935 and remained in Parliament until 1945. He is known for his representation of the Durham miners. He became mayor of Sunderland in 1945, and was appointed the C.B.E. Order of the British Empire in 1949. In 1951 he was made Roll of Honorary Freeman of the former Borough of Sunderland.

Quotes

 * "The day has passed when we had to take off our hats to the squire and bow to the bishop"

Personal
Born in 1874, he was the son of Joshua Ritson from Bampton, Cumberland and his wife Ann. His older brother John Ritson was President of the Northern Colliery Officials Association. In 1900, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Irvin Dinning. His great-niece is Labour Party politician Baroness Joyce Quin.