The second son of Joseph Leese, of the firm of Messrs. Kershaw, Leese & Co., cotton spinners and manufacturers, Stockport. He was the elder brother of Ernest Leese (Lancashire 1880-84); and father of Sir William Hargreaves Leese (MCC 1889-90), Vernon Francis Leese (Cambridge University 1892) and Neville Leese (MCC 1895). He was uncle of Charles Phillip Leese (Oxford University 1908-10, Lancashire 1911), and grandfather of Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese (Eton 1914, and President of Warwickshire 1959, Shropshire 1962, M.C.C. 1965-66, and The Cricket Society 1968-72).

Educated abroad, where he attended the Universities of Halle and Dijon, before going to London University where he graduated B.A. After that he went to St.John's College, Cambridge, for the purpose of reading law. He did not remain long, however, although he afterwards kept his terms and was called to the bar.

Seeing that the cotton industry was expanding he joined his elder brother, Spencer Leese, in a cotton spinning and manufacturing business at Fylde-road Mills, Preston. He left the firm in 1868 and the business continued in the hands of first Spencer Leese and later the younger brother Ernest.

On the dissolution of Parliament in 1868 he was adopted as a the Liberal Party candidate for the Preston constituency and was a firm advocate of Home Rule for Ireland. He was defeated, but in one of his speeches remarked, "I am not the younger son of a great lord, not the nominee of an influential country family; at best I am but a scion of the aristocracy of industry."

Towards the end of 1868 he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple and joined the Northern Circuit. He built up a considerable practise and took silk in 1891.

As a cricketer he was a hard hitting middle order right-hand batsman and a good field at point.

He was playing for the Manchester club in 1862, at the age of seventeen, and a year later also played for Broughton. In 1865 he played for Lancashire in their initial first-class match, against Middlesex at Old Trafford, when he scored 33 and 0. That year he also played for Twenty-twos of Manchester, Broughton and Longsight against the All England Eleven.

In 1865 he also played for the Gentlemen of Lancashire for the first time and for that club in 1867 he scored 72 against the Gentlemen of Yorkshire at Old Trafford.

He was a member of the M.C.C. from 1878 until his death and in 1887, in a Centenary Match, at Lord's, he scored 62 for Eighteen Veterans against the M.C.C.

He married Mary Constance, the daughter of William Hargreaves, who was the brother of John Hargreaves, one of the founders of the Broad Oak Printworks, Accrington. The family were friends of Cobden and Bright and one of its members had stood for the Blackburn seat in the Liberal cause. For some time in the early 1880's Joseph Leese and his family resided in a house owned by William Hargreaves at Send Holme, Woking, Surrey. He was a Captain in 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia for some years in his younger days.

At the time of the 1881 Census he was living at Send Holme, Surrey, aged 36, a barrister in practise, with his wife Mary Constance aged 33, three sons, Vernon aged 11, Theodore aged 6 and Cecil M. aged 5 and 1 daughter, Constance aged 2. They have eight domestic servants.

His father lived at 1 Hazeldean, Withington, aged 66, a cotton spinner employing 1492 women. He stood as a Liberal candidate for Accrington in 1886, but was elected as Member of Parliament for Accrington in 1892, a seat he held until he retired in 1910. He was appointed Recorder of Manchester in 1893, a position he held until 1913. He was knighted in 1895 and made a baronet in 1908.

In his later years he lived in Surrey.

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)

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