Preceded by James Stuart Role Politician Political party Conservative Died June 8, 1934 | Occupation Shipbroker Party Conservative Party Name Sir Knott, Succeeded by Frank Goldstone | |
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Born 31 January 1855
Howdon, Tyne and Wear, England ( 1855-01-31 ) Spouse(s) Margaret Annie Garbutt
Elizabeth Chystie Gauntlett Children Thomas Garbutt
James Leadbitter (d.1916)
Henry Basil (d.1915) | ||
Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet (31 January 1855 – 8 June 1934) was a shipping magnate (Prince Steam Shipping Company Ltd. (Prince Line)) and Conservative Party politician in the north-east of England.
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Several institutions in the north-east of England are named after him, such as the Knott Memorial Hall in Heddon-on-the-Wall.
Career
He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1906 general election in the Tyneside division of Northumberland. At the January 1910 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the two-seat constituency of Sunderland, along with Samuel Storey (who had been MP for the constituency from 1881 to 1895). Storey was an "Independent Tariff Reform" candidate (i.e. opposed to free trade), but his candidacy had the full support of the local Conservative association and his return of election expenses was made jointly with Knott, who was the official Conservative candidate. They both stood down because of ill-health at the general election in December 1910.
He was made a baronet in 1917, of Close House, Northumberland.
Family
Two of his three sons died at young age in the Great War, Henry (known as Basil) in 1915 followed by James in 1916.
He was succeeded at his death by his surviving son, Sir Thomas Garbutt Knott (1879-1949), as 2nd Baronet and who died without children.
Samarès Manor
In 1924, he moved to Jersey, purchased Samarès Manor and became the Seigneur of Samarès.
Death duties
On 13 November 1934, John Stourton, MP for Salford South, asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an agreement had been reached over payment of death duties on Knott's £5m estate. Neville Chamberlain replied that he "was not prepared to disclose information as to the position in regard to taxation in a particular case.".