Herbert Williams was born in
Hooton,
Cheshire, on 2 December 1884. He was educated at
Liverpool University with degrees in science and engineering. In 1911 he became secretary and manager of the Machine Tools Trade Association. He served on
Wimbledon Borough Council. Williams contested the
Combined English Universities in 1918 and
Wednesbury in 1922 and 1923 without success. From 1924 to 1929, Williams was MP for
Reading and served as
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. He was a member of the first Court of the
University of Reading following its receipt of a
Royal Charter in 1926. Williams was returned to Parliament in
Croydon South in a by-election in February 1932. He was comfortably re-elected in 1935 and served through the war. He was vocal in arguing against the
Beveridge Report in Parliament, despite it being proposed by his Croydon Conservative colleague,
Henry Willink MP. He was an
alderman of
London County Council in 1940–45. Sir Herbert lost his seat in the 1945 General Election to
Labour's David Rees-Williams. In February 1950, the Croydon seats were rearranged and the Conservatives won all three seats. Sir Herbert was returned in the new
Croydon East seat and was re-elected in 1951. He was made a
baronet on 3 July 1953. He died in 1954 aged 69 and
a by-election was held in his seat in September. ==Legacy==