Pierse Loftus

Pierse Creagh Loftus
Born	(1877-11-29) November 29, 1877 County Kilkenny, Ireland
Died	January 20, 1956(1956-01-20) (aged 78)
Occupation(s)	Businessman, politician
Years active	1902–1945
Known for	Member of Parliament for Lowestoft (1934–1945)

Pierse Creagh Loftus (29 November 1877 – 20 January 1956) was a British businessman of Irish origin and a Conservative Party politician. He was notably active in Lowestoft and the surrounding East Suffolk area, representing the Lowestoft parliamentary division as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1934 until 1945.

Early life

Loftus was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and at the age of eight, he and his brother adopted their grandmother's surname. His education took place at St. Augustine's School in Ramsgate followed by The Oratory School in Birmingham. He spent three years working in South Africa and served with the Maritzburg Defence Force in 1899. In 1902, together with his brother Jack, he acquired a stake in Adnams Brewery located in Southwold. During the First World War, Loftus served in France as part of the Suffolk Regiment, achieving the rank of captain.

His public career began with his election to East Suffolk County Council in 1922, and he became vice-chairman of the Lowestoft Conservative Association the following year. In 1931, he was appointed as an alderman.

Loftus authored several political publications: The Conservative Party and the Future (1912), which discussed Conservative policy directions; A Main Cause of Unemployment (1923), examining factors behind joblessness; and The Creed of a Tory (1926), which advocated for reforms such as indirect elections for MPs and corporate representation.

After Conservative MP Gervais Rentoul stepped down in 1934, Loftus was chosen to contest the Lowestoft by-election as a "National Conservative" aligned with the National Government coalition. His campaign addressed concerns about the local fishing industry’s loss of access to the Russian herring market. He secured victory with 48% of the vote, holding a margin of 5.9% over Labour candidate Reginald Sorensen.

In the 1935 general election, Loftus retained his seat with more than 60% of votes but was defeated in 1945 by Labour’s Edward Evans. Throughout his parliamentary tenure, he concentrated on issues related to agriculture and fisheries.

Loftus served as a Justice of the Peace for over a quarter-century and held the office of High Steward of Southwold from 1945 until his passing. After leaving Parliament, he took on the role of chairman for the Rural Reconstruction Association.

Family

Loftus married twice during his lifetime. His first marriage was to Dorothy Reynolds in 1910, with whom he had two sons. Following her death in 1943, he wed Eileen Elkington in 1945; she was the widow of Brigadier-General R. J. G. Elkington and daughter of Claude Marzetti.

He passed away at his residence in Southwold on 20 January 1956 at age 78.