The Lord Pethick-Lawrence | |
|---|---|
 Lord Pethick-Lawrence at10 Downing Street | |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 21 January 1942 – February 1942 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Hastings Lees-Smith |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Greenwood |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 11 June 1929 – 24 August 1931 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | Arthur Samuel |
| Succeeded by | Walter Elliot |
| Secretary of State for India and Burma | |
| In office 3 August 1945 – 1947 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Leo Amery |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Listowel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frederick William Lawrence 28 December 1871 (1871-12-28) London, England |
| Died | 10 September 1961(1961-09-10) (aged 89) |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouses | |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence,PC (néLawrence; 28 December 1871 – 10 September 1961) was a BritishLabour politician who campaigned forwomen's suffrage.
Born in London asFrederick William Lawrence, he was the son of wealthyUnitarians who were members of theLiberal Party. Three of his father's brothers,William,James, andEdwin, were politically active in various roles, including asLord Mayor of London and as members of parliament. Frederick was educated atWixenford,[1]Eton, andTrinity College, Cambridge,[2] where he was a member ofCambridge University Liberal Club.[3] He then became abarrister.
Lawrence met and fell in love withEmmeline Pethick, an activesocialist and campaigner for women's votes. They finally married in 1901 after Lawrence converted to socialism. They kept separate bank accounts and they both took the surname 'Pethick Lawrence' (later Pethick-Lawrence).[4] He published various left-wing newspapers, includingVotes for Women and became involved in theLabour Party. His involvement in theWomen's Social and Political Union (WSPU), on behalf of women's rights, led to him serving a nine-month prison sentence in 1912, followingChristabel Pankhurst's window-smashing campaign, even though he had disagreed with that form of action; because of his disagreement, indeed, he was expelled from the WSPU byEmmeline Pankhurst and Christabel. On account of his prison sentence he was expelled from theReform Club.[5]Early in theFirst World War Pethick-Lawrence joined with others in founding theUnion of Democratic Control (UDC), a leading anti-war organisation of which he became Treasurer. After acceptance by a Tribunal inDorking in 1918, he worked on a farm inSussex as aconscientious objector.
In 1923 Pethick-Lawrence was electedMember of Parliament (MP) forLeicester West, and wasFinancial Secretary to the Treasury from 1929 until the formation of theNational Government in 1931; in the ensuing general election and the rout of the Labour Party he lost his seat. He was elected forEdinburgh East in 1935 and sworn of thePrivy Council in 1937.[6] For a short period in January and February 1942 he acted asLeader of the Opposition to the coalition government. In 1945 Pethick-Lawrence was elevated to the peerage asBaron Pethick-Lawrence, of Peaslake in the County of Surrey.[7] From 1945 to 1947 he wasSecretary of State for India and Burma, with a seat in the cabinet, and was involved in the negotiations that led to India's independence in 1947. Prime MinisterClement Attlee, however, made all the government's major decisions regarding India.[8]
His first wife,Emmeline, Lady Pethick-Lawrence, died in 1954. Lord Pethick-Lawrence later marriedHelen Craggs in 1957.[9] He died atHendon,London, in September 1961, aged 89.
In 1976 the historian,Brian Harrison, conducted various interviews related to Frederick and Emmeline Pethwick-Lawrence as part of the Suffrage Interviews project, titledOral evidence on the suffragette and suffragist movements: the Brian Harrison interviews.[10] Elizabeth Kempster was employed as their housekeeper in 1945 following an interview at Lincoln's Inn, and worked at their home, Fourways, in Surrey, whereSylvia Pankhurst was a frequent visitor. She talks about his interest in people, sport and health, and the effect his trip to India had on him. Gladys Groom-Smith, interviewed in June and August 1976, was secretary to the Pethick-Lawrence's, working alongside Esther Knowles who trained her. She talks about his background, childhood and personality as well as his concerns when Secretary of State for India. Harrison also interviewed the niece of Esther Knowles, who recalled her Aunt's relationship with the Pethick-Lawrence's and her work for them.
His older sisterAnnie Jane Lawrence (1863-1953) was responsible for building the open-airArts and Crafts schoolThe Cloisters inLetchworth Garden City.
His name and picture (and those of 58 other women's suffrage supporters) are on theplinth of thestatue of Millicent Fawcett inParliament Square, London, unveiled in 2018.[11][12][13]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forLeicester West 1923–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forEdinburgh East 1935–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1929–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 1942 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary of State for India and Burma 1945–1947 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baron Pethick-Lawrence 1945–1961 | Extinct |
