Joseph Diggle

His combative approach to political debate was the key to his career, helping him to run the Board for nine years but denying him any higher office.

Joseph was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Wadham College, Oxford, where he read Modern History and obtained first class honours.

Two years later he became curate of St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, London, where William Henry Fremantle was rector.

[citation needed] In November of the same year he was stood as a "Moderate" candidate for the London School Board, the elected body responsible for education in the capital.

From October 1883, despite still being in opposition, Diggle was chairman of the Finance Committee; he presented a scheme for superannuation of teachers' salaries in June 1884, which was eventually adopted.

Despite his concern to reduce expenditure he was compelled to present estimates providing for increases in January 1885; he argued that there had been circumstances of an exceptional character.

He offered himself as an Independent candidate for the Marylebone East division, declaring that he would not be able to take his seat but urging electors to challenge such "antiquated and unjust restrictions".

The Progressives adopted the pejorative term "Diggleism" to describe the board's policy, which they saw as the deliberate underfunding of secular education to favour Anglican schools.

Diggle had the pleasure in 1889 of seeing the Clerical Disabilities Act pass into law, which allowed clergyman who resigned their holy orders to stand for Parliament and take their seats.

In 1891 there was a bad-tempered dispute between Diggle and the Charity Organisation Society over the provision of cheap or free meals to children in elementary schools.

When the Progressive group put down amendments to a board circular, Diggle quickly accepted a motion to close all debate on the subject.

The 1894 school board election saw the Progressive Party make large gains at the expense of the Moderates who however retained a narrow majority of 3.

Diggle retained his seat in the seven-member Marylebone division, but slipped from first to fourth place, with the Progressive leader, Lyulph Stanley, topping the poll.

It was clear that Diggle, who had been a highly partisan chairman and campaigner, was too divisive a figure to head the finely balanced board.