Charles Pinkham

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Pinkham, C.B.E., M.P., J.P., D.L., C.A. (1853-1938), was an English Conservative politician at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

From the longer Wikipedia biography

In 1888 Pinkham was elected to Willesden Local Board, predecessor to Willesden Urban District Council. He would be chairman of the institution five times, serving on it until 1919, when he stood down after having been elected Unionist M.P. for Willesden West Constituency in the previous year. He had already stood for election in Willesden East in the 1890s.

Pinkham also served on Middlesex County Council from 1898. He was made a Middlesex alderman in March 1907, and was chairman of the Highways Committee c. 1914 to at least 1924. Around 1921 he became Deputy Lieutenant of Middlesex. For "domestic reasons" he did not stand for West Willesden again in 1922, and the seat went to Labour's Samuel Viant, who also came from Plymouth.

Pinkham was a member of the Metropolitan Water Board from its inception, as well as being a J.P. from 1900, and Deputy Chairman of Willesden Bench from 1912. He had a reputation "for making witty remarks and giving sage advice from the Bench at Willesden" and was reportedly often quoted in the London papers. His portrait was unveiled at Willesden Police Court in 1928.

On 17 July 1914 there was a public presentation to Pinkham on behalf of the residents of Willesden in recognition of his 25 years service on the Local Board and U.D.C. During the First World War Pinkham swore in recruits twice a day, and later was chairman of the Local War Tribunal. Both his sons served in the war. He assisted in raising two battalions of the 9th Middlesex (Willesden's Territorial unit, based at Pound Lane, Willesden and, in 1916, a Volunteer battalion (essentially sort of First World War Home Guard units, the Volunteers were popularly known as the 'Gorgeous Wrecks' because of the G.R., for 'Government Recognition', on their brassards) of which he was honorary colonel. He was allowed to retain his rank after the war. He also raised money for the wounded and was chairman of two local hospitals. Towards the end of the war he was awarded the O.B.E.