Sir William Middlebrook, 1st Baronet

Sir William Middlebrook, 1st Baronet (22 February 1851 – 30 June 1936) was an English solicitor and Liberal Party politician.

Family and education William Middlebrook was born at Birstall in the West Riding of Yorkshire the son of John Middlebrook and Eliza Priestley. His mother was a distant relation of Joseph Priestley the philosopher, theologian and scientist. He was educated at Huddersfield College. In 1880 he married Alma Jackson from Morley, the daughter of William Jackson, the founder of the Peel Mills in Leeds. They had one son and two daughters.

Career Middlebrook went in for the law. He served his articles at Barton-upon-Humber and was admitted as a solicitor in 1872 or 1873. He built up a large practice in which he was later joined by his son Harold. It seems that one of the reasons Middlebrook was selected was his ability to give financial aid to the Leeds South Liberal Association. Walton had paid the salary of his political agent and Middlebrook undertook to pay the constituency £100 a year. This was at a time when MPs were not yet paid a salary. The by-election took place on 13 February 1908 and Middlebrook held the seat for the Liberals with a majority of 359 over his Unionist opponent Reginald Neville, with Labour's Albert Fox in third place. Middlebrook held his seat until the 1922 general election when he was defeated in a straight fight by Labour's Henry Charleton. He did not stand for Parliament again.

Honours and appointments Middlebrook was knighted in 1916 and created a baronet in 1930. In 1922 he was nominated as Chairman of an Inquiry set up by the International Labour Office of the League of Nations into the problem of disinfection of wool and hair infected with anthrax spores, especially relating to keeping flocks of sheep and related animal products free from contamination. Middlebrook acted as Chairman of the Local Legislation Committee of the House of Commons from 1913 to 1922 He was sometime member of the Consultative Council on Local Heath Administration and also served as a Justice of the Peace. The memorial was formally presented to the town of Morley by Middlebrook on 29 October 1928.

Death and heir After he retired Middlebrook moved from Morley to Scarborough where he died after a long illness on 30 June 1936 aged 85 years. He was succeeded to the Middlebrook Baronetcy by his son Harold (1887–1971).