Henry John Roby

Henry John Roby (20 August 1830 – 2 January 1915), was an English classical scholar and writer on Roman law, and a Liberal Member of Parliament. He was a Cambridge Apostle.

Early life and Cambridge Roby was the son of a solicitor and was born in Tamworth, and was educated at Bridgnorth Grammar School.

He won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge in 1849. He graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1853, and was the "Senior Classic" or top classics student of that year. He was made a fellow of St John's College in the following year.

He worked as a lecturer and private tutor in Cambridge from 1854 to 1861. He was, however, highly critical of the administration of the university. In particular he felt that the constituent colleges were prone to pursue policies in complete isolation from each other, leading to frequent conflicts. This he likened to the collision of "17 bodies in a confined space moving vagueley in the dark". Finding the teaching of Latin at Dulwich in need of reform, he wrote An Elementary Latin Grammar in 1862. He remained at Dulwich until 1865.

Industry With the ending of his work as a schools commissioner in 1874, Roby became a partner in his father in law's firm of Ermen and Engels, sewing cotton manufacturers of Patricroft near Manchester. Soon afterwards the firm changed its name to Ermen and Roby.

Parliament Roby was an active member of the Liberal Party, serving variously as chairmen of the Manchester Liberal Executive, the Executive for the North-West Manchester Liberal Association and of the Manchester Liberal Union, and as president of the Eccles Liberal Association.

In 1890, the incumbent M.P. for the Eccles division of Lancashire died, and Roby was chosen to contest the seat at the ensuing by-election. He won the seat from the Conservatives, holding it at the subsequent general election of 1892. He was a deputy chairman of committees of the House of Commons.

Retirement In 1894, Roby retired from business and in the following year from parliament. He spent the last twenty years of his life in at his residence Lancrigg, Grasmere in the Lake District. He died at Lancrigg in 1915, aged 84.