Samuel Forde Ridley (1864 – 17 November 1944) [1] was a British industrialist and Conservative Party politician.
He was son of Samuel Edwin Ridley of St Helens, Isle of Wight and his wife Nona Jackson Kent. After education at Clifton College [2] he entered the family firm of Ridley, Whitley and Company, linoleum manufacturers. [3]
He first entered politics in 1895, when he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Conservative-backed Moderate Party in the London County Council elections of that year. [3] In September 1900 he was selected as Conservative and Unionist candidate to contest the parliamentary seat of Bethnal Green South West, held by the prominent Liberal MP, Edward Pickersgill. [4] Ridley's pro war stance saw him unexpectedly take the seat from Pickersgill at the general election of that year. [3] Six years later there was a swing to the Liberals and they regained the Bethnal Green seat. In 1907 the local Conservative association chose a different candidate to contest the constituency at the next general election, with Ridley being rejected due to his views on tariff reform. [5] He was instead chosen to contest the Kent borough of Rochester. [6] He was able to unseat the sitting Liberal MP when an election was held in January 1910, but was himself defeated when a further election was held in December of the same year. [7] In the following year he indicated that he would not contest the seat again. [8]
He died at "Pantiles", Budleigh Salterton, Devon in November 1944. [9]