Career
Born John Cunliffe Pickersgill in 1819 to John Pickersgill, a banker, and Sophia Pickersgill (née Cunliffe), he assumed the name Cunliffe as a second surname in 1867, after inheriting the estate of an aunt of that name. In 1869, a by-election was held in the Bewdley constituency, after the victory of Richard Atwood Glass in the 1868 general election was declared void. Pickersgill-Cunliffe was elected in the by-election, only for his victory to also be declared void on petition later that year, in favour of Augustus Henry Archibald Anson.
Pickersgill-Cunliffe served as an Member of Parliament for only six weeks, from 11 March until 30 April 1869.
Pickersgill-Cunliffe was struck by a train at Caterham Junction railway station (now known as Purley station) on 22 September 1873, near his home in Coulsdon, Surrey. He died two weeks later, on 6 October 1873, at Guy"s Hospital in London.
An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.