Joshua Ritson CBE (16 June 1874 in Farlam – 5 February 1955 in Sunderland)[1][2][3] was a British Labour politician who served as member of parliament (MP) for the City of Durham. He was elected in 1922, unseated in 1931, and re-elected in 1935 and remained in Parliament until 1945.[4][5] He is known for his representation of the Durham miners.[6] He became mayor of Sunderland in 1945,[7] and was appointed the C.B.E. Order of the British Empire in 1949.[8] In 1951 he was made Roll of Honorary Freeman of the former Borough of Sunderland.[9]
Born in 1874, he was the son of Joshua Ritson from Bampton, Cumberland[5] and his wife Ann. His older brother John Ritson was President of the Northern Colliery Officials Association.[11] In 1900, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Irvin Dinning.[8] His great-niece is Labour Party politician Baroness Joyce Quin.[12]