William House (18 January 1854 – 7 May 1917) was anEnglishtrade unionist.
House grew up in theWest Auckland area ofCounty Durham. He worked for many years as acoal miner,[1] and joined theIndependent Labour Party.[2] He was elected toDurham County Council, then as acheckweighman for his pit. He was particularly prominent in the1892 miners' strike, and became known for his public speaking.[1] In 1899, he was chosen as an agent for theDurham Miners' Association,[3] and he was elected as the union's president the following year, serving until his death.[4]
House stood for theLabour Party atBishop Auckland for theJanuary andDecember 1910 general elections, coming within 5% of victory on the second occasion.[5] He also stood unsuccessfully in the1913 Houghton-le-Spring by-election.[6] The following year, he became vice-president of theMiners' Federation of Great Britain. He was the union's choice to replaceJohn Wilson in the1915 Mid Durham by-election, but they ultimately chose not to stand him, due to the electoral truce during theFirst World War.[7]
| Trade union offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of theDurham Miners' Association 1900–1917 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice-President of theMiners' Federation of Great Britain 1914–1917 | Succeeded by |