Reginald Essenhigh

Reginald Clare Essenhigh (7 September 1890 – 1 November 1955) was a Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) from 1931 to 1935 and a judge from 1936 to 1955.

He was born in Warrington, and was the younger son of Henry Streeter and Elizabeth Essenhigh. He was later to assume his mother's maiden name."Obituary: Judge Essenhigh", The Times, November 3, 1955; p. 14] He was educated in his home town and originally worked for a local cable manufacture company. He subsequently gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London, where he studied applied art and architecture.

On the outbreak of World War I, he joined the University of London Officer Training Corps before being commissioned as an officer in the 3rd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment. He rose to the rank of captain before losing his leg in action during a coastal assault at Nieuport on the Belgian coast.

While recuperating in hospital, he studied law. He was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1922. He practiced on the Northern Circuit. In 1924 he married Dr Helen Hogg, and they had two children.

He stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1929 general election. He contested the Newton constituency of Lancashire, but lost by over 6,000 votes to the sitting Labour MP Frederick Lee. As Labour's vote collapsed at the 1931 general election, Essenhigh stood again and took the seat with a majority of only 381 votes.

Lee regained the seat at the 1935 general election, and Essenhigh did not seek election again.

In 1936 Essenhigh was appointed a county judge for Circuit No.13, which included parts of Derbyshire and Yorkshire and included the city of Sheffield. ["Two New County Court Judges", The Times, Saturday, October 24, 1936; p. 14] He retained this position until his death, aged 65, in 1955.

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