Joshua Scholefield

Joshua Scholefield (23 May 1775 – 4 July 1844) was a British businessman and Radical politician. He was elected as one of Birmingham's two first members of parliament when the town was enfranchised as a result of the Reform Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45).

Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, by 1800 he had established himself as an iron manufacturer, merchant and banker at Birmingham. In that capacity, Scholefield chaired a meeting of Birmingham's businessmen in January 1820 that resolved to petition Parliament to hold an inquiry into the "deplorable situation of the Manufacturing and Labouring classes of the Community and of this Town in particular; and the distressing situation to which Manufactures and Commerce are reduced".

In 1830, he was a founding member of the Birmingham Political Union, along with his close friend Thomas Attwood. Scholefield became the deputy chairman of the organisation, which campaigned for parliamentary reform. Its aims were achieved with the passing of the Reform Act 1832.

Member of Parliament The Reform Act 1832 enfranchised Birmingham as a parliamentary borough, with the right to return two members to the House of Commons. The Radicals, who were dominant in the area, chose Attwood and Scholefield to contest the seat. It was initially expected that they would contest the seat with the Tories, but in the event, the two men were elected unopposed. He was buried in Edgbaston churchyard.

Family

His son William Scholefield was the first Mayor of Birmingham, and later MP in his father's seat.