A. V. Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl Alexander of Hillsborough
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| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 28 February 1950 – 26 October 1951 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Hugh Dalton |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Swinton |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 20 December 1946 – 28 February 1950 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Clement Attlee |
| Succeeded by | Manny Shinwell |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office 3 August 1945 – 4 October 1946 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Brendan Bracken |
| Succeeded by | George Hall |
| In office 11 May 1940 – 25 May 1945 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Winston Churchill |
| Succeeded by | Brendan Bracken |
| In office 7 June 1929 – 24 August 1931 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | William Bridgeman |
| Succeeded by | Sir Austen Chamberlain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 May 1885 Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England |
| Died | 11 January 1965 (aged 79) London, England |
| Political party | Labour and Co-operative |
| Spouse |
Esther Chapple
(m. 1908) |
Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough (born May 1, 1885 – died January 11, 1965), was a British politician from the Labour and Co-operative party. He held an important role as the head of the Royal Navy, called the First Lord of the Admiralty, three times. This included during the Second World War. Later, he became the Minister of Defence under Prime Minister Clement Attlee.
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Early Life and Career
Albert Victor Alexander, known as "A. V.", was born in Weston-super-Mare, England. His father was a blacksmith who later became an engineer. His mother worked as a corset-maker to support her four children after his father passed away when A. V. was very young.
A. V. started school at age three. At thirteen, he decided to leave school to work. He first worked for a leather merchant, then as a clerk for the Bristol School Board. In 1903, he moved to the Somerset County Council, working in the School Management Department.
Outside of work, A. V. loved music and sports. He was a talented singer in a choir and taught himself to play the piano. He also played football and later became a vice-president of Chelsea F.C., a famous football club.
In 1908, A. V. married Esther Ellen Chapple, a school teacher. He joined the Baptist church, her faith, and became active in local community groups. He was elected to the board of the Weston Co-operative Society in 1910.
First World War Service
When the First World War began, A. V. Alexander volunteered to serve. He joined the Artists Rifles, a unit that trained officers. He trained in London and at Magdalen College, Oxford.
In December 1917, he became an officer in the Labour Corps. Due to health issues during his training, he did not fight in active battles. Instead, he worked as a posting officer in Lancashire. By November 1918, he was promoted to captain. He then became an education officer, helping wounded soldiers prepare for life after the war. He left the army in late 1919.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 1920, A. V. Alexander became the Parliamentary Secretary for the Co-operative Union. This meant he worked to represent the interests of co-operative businesses to the government and MPs. He was very good at this job. For example, in 1921, he helped defeat a tax proposal that would have hurt co-ops.
Soon after, he was chosen to run for Parliament in Sheffield Hillsborough. He was elected as an MP in November 1922, becoming one of only four Co-op MPs. He was re-elected several times, representing Sheffield until 1950.
In his first speech in Parliament, Alexander spoke about economic ideas important to the Labour Party. When Labour formed its first government in 1924, Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald made Alexander a junior minister at the Board of Trade. Here, he was responsible for things like the merchant navy.
After the government ended in 1924, Alexander returned to his full-time role with the Co-op. He became known for speaking to government committees. He also became a main speaker for Labour on trade issues, often criticizing the government's financial policies. He spoke about helping people during the economic depression.
In 1929, A. V. Alexander became the First Lord of the Admiralty. This was a very important job, as he was in charge of the Royal Navy. He was the first Labour politician to hold this position at such a high level.
The Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, wanted to reduce the size of navies around the world. Alexander worked with the Admiralty to agree to fewer new warships. This helped lead to the London Naval Treaty in 1930, which limited naval forces for Britain, America, and Japan. Alexander also worked to make it easier for working-class people to become officers in the Navy.
During an economic crisis in 1931, Alexander disagreed with some government spending cuts, especially to unemployment benefits. He believed in a socialist economy. When the government split, the Prime Minister formed a new coalition government. Alexander and many other Labour MPs went into opposition.
Alexander lost his seat in the 1931 election. For the next four years, he focused on his role with the Co-op. He continued to fight against taxes on co-op stores and worked to represent consumer interests. He also spoke at rallies for the League of Nations, an organization promoting world peace.
He regained his seat in Parliament in 1935. Alexander became a key Labour speaker on trade and foreign affairs. He warned about the dangers of fascism and criticized the government's policy of appeasement, which tried to avoid war by giving in to aggressive countries. He helped convince the Labour Party to support rearmament (building up military forces) as war approached.
During World War II and Beyond
When World War II began, Alexander believed that Winston Churchill should become Prime Minister. He worked to convince the Labour Party to support Churchill leading a new coalition government. On May 10, 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister, and Alexander returned to his old job as First Lord of the Admiralty.
Even though he was in charge of the Navy, Churchill, as Minister of Defence, had the final say on many military decisions. Alexander worked hard, often sleeping in his office, and cared deeply about the welfare of sailors. He visited troops shortly after D-Day in 1944, showing his dedication. His radio broadcasts and public appearances helped boost morale during the war.
After the war ended in Europe in May 1945, Alexander supported Labour leaving the coalition government. In the election that followed, Labour won a big victory.
Alexander became a member of the Cabinet in the new Labour government. He supported the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, in trying to keep Britain's influence in the world and opposing the Soviet Union. In 1946, he helped with peace talks in Paris and was part of a group that explored India's independence.
At the end of 1946, Alexander became Minister of Defence. This meant he was responsible for all three armed services: the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He worked on creating the system of national service, which required young men to serve in the military for a period of time. He also helped lay the groundwork for NATO, a military alliance formed to protect countries from attack. As the Cold War began, his warnings about the Soviet Union became more widely accepted.
Later Years in the House of Lords
A. V. Alexander decided not to run for re-election in 1950. He left the House of Commons and was given a special title, becoming Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament.
Although he was no longer Minister of Defence, he remained in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. After Labour lost the 1951 election, Alexander retired from front-bench politics due to declining health.
In 1955, he was asked to become the leader of the Labour peers (members of the House of Lords). He held this important role for the next nine years. Alexander spoke on many topics in the Lords. He supported the idea of life peers, which are special titles given for life, not passed down through families. He also opposed Britain joining the European Economic Community at that time.
He continued to support the Co-operative movement and spoke about religious matters. In 1963, he was given even higher titles: Baron Weston-super-Mare and Earl Alexander of Hillsborough. He was also made a Knight of the Garter in 1964, a very high honor.
He stepped down as leader of the Labour peers in 1964. Lord Alexander of Hillsborough passed away in January 1965, at the age of 79. His special titles ended with him because he had no sons.
Images for kids
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Blue Plaque marking his birthplace
