John Cunliffe Pickersgill-Cunliffe (1819 – 6 October 1873) was a British banker, who briefly served as Member of Parliament for Bewdley in 1869, representing the Conservative Party.

Early life

Born John Cunliffe Pickersgill in 1819 to John Pickersgill, a banker, and Sophia Pickersgill (née Cunliffe), he assumed the name Cunliffe as a second surname in 1867, after inheriting the estate of an aunt of that name. He married Helen Hutton Dale, daughter of the Dean of Rochester Cathedral, in 1849.^[1]

Election

In 1869, a by-election was held in the Bewdley constituency, after the victory of Richard Atwood Glass in the 1868 general election was declared void. Pickersgill-Cunliffe was elected in the by-election, only for his victory to also be declared void on petition later that year,^[1] in favour of Augustus Anson. Pickersgill-Cunliffe served as an MP for only six weeks, from 11 March until 30 April 1869.^[2]

Death

Pickersgill-Cunliffe was struck by a train at Caterham Junction railway station (now known as Purley station) on 22 September 1873, near his home in Coulsdon, Surrey. He died two weeks later, on 6 October 1873, at Guy's Hospital in London. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.^[1]

References