John Fildes (1811 – 6 July 1875) was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician.
Fildes was a director of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.[1] At the 1865 general election, he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Grimsby, defeating the sitting Conservative MP John Chapman,[2] who was another director of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. Both candidates had canvassed vigorously during the campaign, with Fildes describing himself as a Liberal who had "ever supported measures conducive to the elevation and improvement of the condition of the people".[3]
At the 1868 general election, no Conservative candidate stood in Grismby. However, Fildes was opposed by the Liberal George Tomline, who was described by The Times as a "formidable opponent".[4] Tomline won the seat, defeating Fildes with a majority of 211 votes.
. F. W. S. Craig . British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 . 1977 . 2nd . 1989 . Parliamentary Research Services . Chichester . 0-900178-26-4 . 135.