▁Tom ▁McC ra ith ▁( 1 8 4 7 ▁– ▁ 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁British ▁Conserv ative ▁and ▁Union ist ▁politician ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁senior ▁political ▁positions ▁on ▁the ▁Not ting ham ▁City ▁Council . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁John ▁Tom ▁McC ra ith ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Le ic ester ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁of ▁William ▁McC ra ith ▁( d . ▁ 1 8 8 4 ) ▁of ▁South wick , ▁Stewart ry ▁of ▁Kir kc ud br ight , ▁an ▁official ▁in ▁the ▁Mid land ▁Railway ▁Company , ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Sarah ▁( d . ▁ 1 8 9 7 ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁James ▁York , ▁of ▁North am pt ons hire . ▁His ▁younger ▁brother ▁was ▁Sir ▁James ▁William ▁McC ra ith . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four , ▁he ▁arrived ▁at ▁Not ting ham ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁his ▁education ▁at ▁Good acre ' s ▁School ▁in ▁the ▁City ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁y arn ▁merchant . ▁During ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 0 – 7 1 , ▁McC ra ith ▁was ▁visit ing ▁Paris ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁build ▁bar ric ades ▁when ▁fighting ▁broke ▁out ▁until ▁British ▁authorities ▁negoti ated ▁for ▁his ▁release . ▁ ▁McC ra ith ▁decided ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁business ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁political ▁career ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁was ▁elected ▁a