Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet

Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet, (31 March 1863 – 10 January 1931) was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician

In 1902 he was employed as solicitor to act for Imperial Tobacco Company and American Tobacco Company in their formation of the joint venture British-American Tobacco Company Ltd. He was appointed a director of the three companies, and was one of the deputy-chairman of British American Tobacco.

At the 1918 general election he was elected as Coalition Conservative member of parliament for Wimbledon.[1][2] He held the seat at the next two general elections, and in 1922 was created a baronet "of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey". He retired from the Commons at the 1924 general election.[1][2]

Hood was known as a generous benefactor to the area he represented in parliament. He donated a recreation at Raynes Park to Merton and Morden Urban District Council and playing fields and woodland in South Wimbledon to the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon. Following his death they were named Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields, and Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Wood.

Sir Joseph and Lady Hood were granted the freedom of the borough of Wimbledon in 1924. In 1930 he was elected mayor of Wimbledon by the borough council, an office he held until his death at his Wimbledon home after a short illness in January 1931. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son Harold Hood, then aged 15.

More information on the Wikipedia page

Category>Mayors of Wimbledon