Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet

Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet (31 January 1855 – 8 June 1934)[1] was a shipping magnate and Conservative Party politician in northeast England.

[4] James Knott was a major in the West Yorkshire Regiment, was awarded the DSO, and was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916.

[7] At the age of 23 Knott borrowed £185 and bought a quarter share in Pearl, a collier brig.

From this start he built up a fleet of 32 old brigs from which he made great profits carrying coal.

Having lost James and Basil, and with Thomas' fate uncertain, in August 1916 Knott sold Prince Line to Furness, Withy & Co Ltd for £3 million.

[6] Knott was an unsuccessful candidate for the Conservative Party at the 1906 general election in the Tyneside division of Northumberland.

Storey was an "Independent Tariff Reform" candidate (i.e. opposed to free trade), but his candidacy had the full support of the local Conservative association and his return of election expenses was made jointly with Knott, who was the official Conservative candidate.

[3] On 13 November 1934, John Stourton, MP for Salford South, asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Neville Chamberlain, whether an agreement had been reached over payment of death duties on Knott's £5m estate.