Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Viscount Addison KG PC FRCS
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 3 August 1945 – 26 October 1951
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Viscount Cranborne
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Lord President of the Council
In office 9 March 1951 – 26 October 1951
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Herbert Morrison
Succeeded by	The Lord Woolton
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 7 October 1947 – 9 March 1951
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Lord Inman
Succeeded by	Ernest Bevin
Paymaster General
In office 2 July 1948 – 1 April 1949
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Hilary Marquand
Succeeded by	Gordon Macdonald
Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
In office 7 July 1947 – 7 October 1947
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Himself as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Succeeded by	Philip Noel-Baker
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
In office 3 August 1945 – 7 July 1947
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Viscount Cranborne
Succeeded by	Himself as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Minister of Agriculture
In office 5 June 1930 – 24 August 1931
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	Noel Buxton
Succeeded by	Sir John Gilmour
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 4 June 1929 – 5 June 1930
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	George Rous
Succeeded by	Herbrand Sackville
Minister without portfolio
In office 1 April 1921 – 14 July 1921
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	Laming Worthington-Evans
Succeeded by	Anthony Eden
Minister of Health
In office 24 June 1919 – 1 April 1921
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	office established Himself (as President of the Local Government Board)
Succeeded by	Alfred Mond
President of the Local Government Board
In office 10 January 1919 – 24 June 1919
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	Auckland Geddes
Succeeded by	office abolished Himself (as Minister of Health)
Minister of Reconstruction
In office 17 July 1917 – 10 January 1919
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Auckland Geddes
Minister of Munitions
In office 10 December 1916 – 17 July 1917
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	David Lloyd George
Preceded by	Edwin Montagu
Succeeded by	Winston Churchill
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 22 May 1937 – 11 December 1951 as a hereditary peer
Preceded by	Peerage created
Succeeded by	The 2nd Viscount Addison
Member of Parliament for Swindon
In office 25 October 1934 – 14 November 1935
Preceded by	Reginald Mitchell Banks
Succeeded by	Wavell Wakefield
In office 30 May 1929 – 27 October 1931
Preceded by	Reginald Mitchell Banks
Succeeded by	Reginald Mitchell Banks
Member of Parliament for Shoreditch Hoxton (1910–1918)
In office 10 January 1910 – 15 November 1922
Preceded by	Claude Hay
Succeeded by	Ernest Griffith Price
Personal details
Born	19 June 1869 (1869-06-19) Hogsthorpe, Lincolnshire
Died	11 December 1951 (1951-12-12) (aged 82)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour (after 1922) Liberal (until 1922)
Spouses	Isobel Gray ​ ​ (m. 1902; died 1934)​ Beatrice Low ​ (m. 1937)​
Alma mater	University of London

Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison (1869–1951), was a British doctor and politician. He was a member of both the Liberal and Labour parties. He played a big role in British government during and after both World Wars.

Addison was a skilled doctor who became a Member of Parliament. He worked hard to improve public health, housing, and agriculture. He helped create the first Ministry of Health in 1919. He also oversaw a major plan to build more affordable homes after World War I.

Early Life & Education

Christopher Addison was born in 1869 in a small farming village called Hogsthorpe in Lincolnshire. His family had been farmers for many generations. This gave him a lifelong interest in farming and rural life.

He studied medicine at Sheffield School of Medicine and St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. In 1892, he earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Science degree from the University of London. A year later, he became a Medical Doctor. In 1894, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Addison worked as a private doctor and also did academic research. He taught anatomy at Sheffield School of Medicine. Later, he became a professor of anatomy at the University College of Sheffield. He also edited a medical journal.

His main work in anatomy involved mapping the human abdomen in 3D. He took thousands of measurements to create a detailed map. He even named a special imaginary line in the body after himself, called "Addison's transpyloric plane".

Joining Politics

Addison decided to enter politics because he was worried about how poverty affected people's health. He believed that only the government could truly fight these problems. In 1907, he became a candidate for the Liberal party. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Hoxton in 1910.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, noticed Addison's medical background. He asked Addison to support the National Insurance Bill of 1911. This bill aimed to help people with healthcare costs. In 1914, Addison started working to improve the health and well-being of children.

During World War I

In May 1915, Addison became a key figure in the Ministry of Munitions. This new government department was created to quickly produce more weapons and supplies for the war.

Addison helped the government take control of private factories to speed up production. He also worked to improve conditions for factory workers. This was very important because a steady supply of ammunition was crucial for the war effort. The government even helped build housing for workers near the factories. This was an early step towards modern town planning and public housing.

Addison was promoted to Minister of Munitions in July 1916. He worked closely with David Lloyd George, who later became Prime Minister. Addison helped make munitions production much more efficient.

Post-War Changes

After the war, in July 1917, Addison became a Minister Without Portfolio. This meant he was in charge of planning how Britain would rebuild after the war. He worked on big plans for social reforms. One of his greatest achievements was creating a system that saved the country a lot of money.

In 1919, Addison became the first Minister of Health. He was responsible for many improvements in public health. He introduced the Nurse Registration Act, which created an official register for nurses. He also brought in the first Housing and Town Planning Act. This law led to the government building affordable homes, known as council houses, for working-class families.

However, these plans cost a lot of money. Because of this, Addison was moved from the Ministry of Health in 1921. He later resigned when the government decided to stop the housing construction plan.

Later Political Career

After losing his parliamentary seat in 1922, Addison joined the Labour Party. He believed strongly in social reform. He returned to farming for a while and wrote books about the link between poor housing and health.

In 1929, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Swindon. He became the Minister of Agriculture in 1930. He worked with Clement Attlee, who would later become Prime Minister.

In 1937, Addison became a member of the House of Lords, known as Baron Addison. During World War II, he helped organize agricultural production. In 1945, after Labour won the election, he became the Leader of the House of Lords. This meant he was in charge of guiding new laws through the upper house of Parliament. He was also made Viscount Addison that year.

As Leader of the House of Lords, Addison helped pass many important laws. He also played a key role in changing the way Britain dealt with its colonies. He helped move towards the idea of the British Commonwealth. In 1946, he was made a Knight of the Garter, a very high honour. He continued to serve in government until shortly before his death in 1951.

Family Life

Lord Addison married Isobel Gray in 1902. They had two daughters and three sons. Isobel supported him greatly in his political career. After she passed away in 1934, Addison married Dorothy Low in 1937.

Christopher Addison died in December 1951, at the age of 82. His eldest son, Christopher, inherited his titles.

Contributions to Anatomy

Addison wrote important papers about the anatomy of the human abdomen. These were published in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology between 1899 and 1901. His detailed research helped doctors understand the body better.

Remembering Christopher Addison

Christopher Addison is remembered for his work in improving public health and housing. Many streets across Britain are named after him, especially in areas with social housing. This shows his lasting impact on people's lives.