About James Kiley
Lived 1865 – 1953 (aged 87–88). James Kiley was a British politician.
James Daniel Kiley (1865 – 12 September 1953) was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician who served in the House of Commons from 1916 to 1922 as a Member of Parliament (MP) for constituencies in the Whitechapel area
A director of a warehouse company in Houndsditch, he entered politics in 1910, when he was elected to Stepney Borough Council, becoming an alderman in 1913 and serving as the borough's mayor in 1915. He was also a member of the Metropolitan Water Board from 1914 to 1922, and a justice of the peace from 1913. The Whitechapel constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the 1918 general election, and Kiley was elected for the new Whitechapel and St Georges division of Stepney. He held the seat despite his Conservative Party opponent having received the coalition coupon, but with both Labour and Conservative candidates winning over 28% of the votes, Kiley's victory was obtained with only 35% of the votes. (The fourth candidate, an independent won 7%). and was unsuccessful again at the general election in December 1923. He did not stand for Parliament again.
He continued in business, eventually becoming chairman of Whyte Ridsdale and Company Limited, a leading firm of fancy goods and toy merchants. He was a forceful proponent of free trade both in politics and business, opposing tariffs or other restrictions.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped James Kiley's
Frequently asked questions
Who was James Kiley?
businessman, politician (1865-1953)
When was James Kiley born?
James Kiley was born in 1865.
When did James Kiley die?
James Kiley died on 12 September 1953.
What was James Kiley's occupation?
James Kiley was a politician.
What nationality was James Kiley?
James Kiley was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Kiley. https://biography.guide/james-kiley/
MLA: "James Kiley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-kiley/.
Chicago: "James Kiley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-kiley/.
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