Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Viscount Hailsham PC
Lord President of the Council
In office 9 March 1938 – 31 October 1938
Prime Minister	Neville Chamberlain
Preceded by	The Viscount Halifax
Succeeded by	The Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
In office 7 June 1935 – 9 March 1938
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain
Preceded by	The Viscount Sankey
Succeeded by	The Lord Maugham
In office 28 March 1928 – 4 June 1929
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	The Viscount Cave
Succeeded by	The Viscount Sankey
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 5 November 1931 – 7 June 1935
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	The Marquess of Reading
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Londonderry
Secretary of State for War
In office 5 November 1931 – 7 June 1935
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	The Marquess of Crewe
Succeeded by	The Viscount Halifax
Attorney-General for England
In office 6 November 1924 – 4 April 1928
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	Sir Patrick Hastings
Succeeded by	Sir Thomas Inskip
In office 24 October 1922 – 22 January 1924
Prime Minister	Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	Sir Ernest Pollock
Succeeded by	Sir Patrick Hastings
Member of Parliament for St Marylebone
In office 15 November 1922 – 28 March 1928
Preceded by	Sir Samuel Scott
Succeeded by	Rennell Rodd
Personal details
Born	28 February 1872 (1872-02-28) England
Died	16 August 1950(1950-08-16) (aged 78) England
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	Elizabeth Marjoribanks ​ ​ (m. 1905; her death 1925)​

Douglas McGarel Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham (born 28 February 1872 – died 16 August 1950) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He served twice as the Lord Chancellor, which is a very high legal and political position. He also held several other important jobs in the government. Many people thought he was one of the best Conservative politicians of his time.

Early Life and Education

Douglas Hogg was born in London, England. His father, Quintin Hogg, was a businessman and helped many people. His mother was Alice Anna Hogg. Both of his grandfathers were members of Parliament, which is like being a representative in government.

He went to Cheam School and Eton College. After school, he worked for eight years in his family's sugar business. This job took him to places like the West Indies and British Guiana. During the Boer War, he served in the army. He was hurt in battle and received an award for his service.

Starting a Legal Career

After returning from South Africa, Douglas Hogg became a barrister in 1902. A barrister is a lawyer who argues cases in court. Even though he started his legal career later than most, he became very successful. He handled many cases in both common law and business law. By 1914, he was earning a lot of money from his legal work.

A famous lawyer, Sir John Simon, once said that Hogg had all the skills needed to be a top lawyer. He was good at understanding complex facts and legal rules. He was also friendly and persuasive, which helped him win cases.

In 1917, he became a King's Counsel. This is a special title for experienced lawyers. He also became a "bencher" at Lincoln's Inn, which is one of the professional associations for barristers. In 1920, he became the Attorney-General to the Prince of Wales.

After his father passed away in 1903, Douglas Hogg spent a lot of time helping the Royal Polytechnic Institution. This was a school and charity that his father had started.

Entering Politics

Douglas Hogg started getting involved in Conservative politics while he was still a lawyer. He helped the Conservatives with legal issues during the Marconi scandal.

He was once asked to be a candidate for Parliament in the area of Marylebone. However, he decided not to run in the 1918 election. He did not want to compete against the person who was already representing that area.

Serving as Attorney-General (1922–1924)

In October 1922, the government at the time, led by David Lloyd George, ended. Bonar Law then formed a new government made up only of Conservatives. Many experienced lawyers refused to join this new government. So, Douglas Hogg, who was not yet a Member of Parliament (MP), was chosen to be the Attorney General. This is the chief legal advisor to the government.

Bonar Law helped Hogg become the Conservative candidate for the safe seat of St Marylebone. He won without anyone running against him in the November 1922 election. This meant he started his career in the House of Commons as a government minister.

Soon after, he helped pass a law to set up the Irish Free State constitution. He also helped write a reply from the government about unemployment. Even though he was not yet a full member of the Cabinet, he joined the Privy Council. This is a group of advisors to the King or Queen. He also received a knighthood in December 1922. Hogg continued as Attorney-General when Stanley Baldwin became Prime Minister in May 1923.

During this time, Hogg spent a lot of time at his home in Sussex. He became an important person in the county. He was a justice of the peace (a local judge) from 1923. Even when he became Lord Chancellor later, he sometimes still served as a local judge.

The Conservatives lost the December 1923 election. Hogg remained Attorney General until the first Labour government took office in January 1924.

While in opposition, Hogg continued to be active in the House of Commons. His speeches were known for being strong and encouraging to his party.

Second Term as Attorney-General (1924–1929)

In October 1924, the Conservatives won the election and returned to power. Douglas Hogg was again made Attorney-General, and this time he was a full member of the Cabinet. His main job was to give legal advice to the government.

He was involved in legal actions related to public order in October 1925. He also gave legal advice during the General Strike of 1926. This was a big strike where many workers stopped working to support coal miners.

Hogg was well-liked by his colleagues. Neville Chamberlain described him as "one of the best, straight and loyal and possessed of a wonderful brain."

After the General Strike, Hogg helped guide the Trade Disputes Act of 1927 through Parliament. This law made some types of strikes and union activities illegal. It also changed how unions collected money for political purposes.

Becoming Lord Chancellor (1928–1929)

In 1928, the Lord Chancellor, Viscount Cave, retired. Douglas Hogg was offered the job. At first, he did not want to take it because he thought it would stop him from ever becoming Prime Minister. However, Stanley Baldwin insisted that he accept the position.

On 29 March 1928, Hogg became Lord Chancellor. On 5 April, he was given the title Baron Hailsham. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords.

He held the Great Seal (a symbol of the Lord Chancellor's power) for just over a year. The government then lost the 1929 election. In June 1929, he was given an even higher title, Viscount Hailsham.

In Opposition (1929–1931)

Between 1929 and 1931, Viscount Hailsham was the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. This meant he was the main spokesperson for the Conservative Party in that part of Parliament.

As a former Lord Chancellor, he continued to serve as a "Law Lord." This meant he helped make important legal decisions in the House of Lords. He was known for his clear and logical judgments.

In 1931, Hailsham also became the president of the Sussex County cricket club.

Secretary of State for War (1931–1935)

In August 1931, a new "National Government" was formed during a time of economic crisis. Hailsham was not initially offered a job in the small emergency Cabinet. However, after the October 1931 elections, he joined the government. He became the Secretary of State for War, responsible for the army. He also became the Leader of the House of Lords.

Hailsham strongly supported "protectionism." This meant putting tariffs (taxes) on goods imported into the British Empire. He was part of the British delegation at the Ottawa Imperial Economic Conference in 1932.

He also served as President of the MCC in 1933. He played a role in the discussions after the famous "Bodyline" cricket series between England and Australia.

As Secretary of State for War, Hailsham was popular with army officers. He oversaw the first serious plans to rearm the army. However, more money was spent on the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy at that time.

Second Term as Lord Chancellor (1935–1938)

On 7 June 1935, Hailsham returned to the role of Lord Chancellor. He served under Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin again.

In December 1935, Hailsham oversaw the last trial of a peer (a member of the nobility) by other peers. This was a very old tradition. He ruled that the peer was not guilty. He also suggested that this old procedure should be stopped. It was later abolished in 1948.

Hailsham was praised for leading debates in the House of Lords and for his work as a Law Lord. He received honorary degrees from several universities.

By 1936, Hailsham's health began to decline. He continued as Lord Chancellor under Neville Chamberlain from May 1937. But in March 1938, he moved to a less demanding role as Lord President of the Council. In 1938, Hailsham had a serious stroke. This left his right side disabled. He learned to write with his left hand, but he could no longer speak clearly. He had to retire from the government on 31 October 1938. This was just four days after his elder son, Quintin, was elected to the House of Commons.

Later Life and Family

On 14 October 1940, Hailsham was having dinner with his son Quintin at the Carlton Club. The club was hit by a bomb. People saw Quintin carrying his disabled father out of the building. This reminded some people of a famous story from ancient Greece.

Because of his poor health, Hailsham could not be very active in the House of Lords. However, he continued to help other organizations. He was chairman of the British Empire Cancer Campaign from 1936 to 1950.

Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham, passed away at his home in Sussex on 16 August 1950. He was buried in a local churchyard. His title passed to his son, Quintin.

On 14 August 1905, Douglas Hogg married Elizabeth Marjoribanks. She was from America and had been married before. They had two sons:

• Quintin McGarel Hogg (born 1907, died 2001), who also became a famous lawyer and politician. He later became Lord Chancellor, just like his father.
• Hon William Neil McGarel Hogg (born 1910, died 1995), who became a diplomat.

Elizabeth suffered a stroke in 1923 and passed away in May 1925. Her death was very hard for Douglas Hogg. He later married Mildred Margaret in 1929. They did not have any children together.

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