Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford facts for kids

Francis Aungier Pakenham, the 7th Earl of Longford (born December 5, 1905 – died August 3, 2001), was a British politician and social reformer. He was known to his family as Frank Longford. He was a member of the Labour Party and served in important government roles, called "cabinet positions," many times between 1947 and 1968. Lord Longford was active in politics until he passed away in 2001. He came from an old, noble family in Ireland and was one of the few aristocrats (people with inherited titles) to hold high positions in a Labour government.

Longford was famous for helping people who were often ignored or had unpopular causes. He is especially remembered for working his whole life to improve prisons and the justice system. He visited prisons regularly for almost 70 years. He believed in helping prisoners get better and return to society. He also helped create the modern British system of parole in the 1960s. Parole allows prisoners to be released early under supervision. The Longford Prize is named after him and is given each year to people who have done great work in prison reform.

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl of Longford KG PC
Longford in 1974
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 18 October 1964 – 16 January 1968
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	The Lord Carrington
Succeeded by	The Lord Shackleton
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 6 April 1966 – 16 January 1968
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Sir Frank Soskice
Succeeded by	The Lord Shackleton
In office 18 October 1964 – 23 December 1965
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Selwyn Lloyd
Succeeded by	Sir Frank Soskice
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 23 December 1965 – 6 April 1966
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Anthony Greenwood
Succeeded by	Frederick Lee
First Lord of the Admiralty
In office 24 May 1951 – 13 October 1951
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Viscount Hall
Succeeded by	James Thomas
Minister of Civil Aviation
In office 31 May 1948 – 1 June 1951
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Lord Nathan
Succeeded by	The Lord Ogmore
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs)
In office 17 April 1947 – 31 May 1948
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	John Hynd
Succeeded by	Hugh Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War
In office 4 October 1946 – 17 April 1947
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Lord Nathan
Succeeded by	John Freeman
Lord-in-waiting Government Whip
In office 14 October 1945 – 4 October 1946
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Lord Alness
Succeeded by	The Lord Chorley
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 16 October 1945 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	Peerage created
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
as a life peer 17 November 1999 – 3 August 2001
Personal details
Born	Francis Aungier Pakenham (1905-12-05)5 December 1905
Died	3 August 2001(2001-08-03) (aged 95)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Elizabeth Harman ​ (m. 1931)​
Children	8, including Antonia, Thomas, Judith, Rachel, and Michael
Parents	Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford Lady Mary Child-Villiers
Alma mater	New College, Oxford

Early Life and Education

Francis Pakenham was born into a noble family from Ireland. He was the second son of the 5th Earl of Longford. He went to Eton College, a famous boarding school, and then to New College, Oxford, a university. At Oxford, he studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He did very well, earning a top degree. After graduating, he became a "don," which is a university teacher or scholar, at Christ Church.

Joining Politics

Pakenham at his wedding in 1931

After working briefly in finance, Pakenham joined the Conservative Party's research department in 1931. He helped develop ideas for education policy. However, his wife, Elizabeth, convinced him to become a socialist, which meant he believed in more equality and government support for people. They got married on November 3, 1931, and had eight children. In 1940, he became a Roman Catholic. His wife, who was raised a Unitarian, later joined the same church in 1946.

Pakenham started his political career. In July 1945, he ran for a seat in Parliament for Oxford but did not win. However, in October of that year, the Labour government made him a "Baron," giving him the title Baron Pakenham. This meant he could join the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. He was one of the few Labour Party members with a noble title. He was immediately appointed a "Lord-in-waiting," a ceremonial role, by Prime Minister Clement Attlee.

In 1947, he became a deputy Foreign Secretary, helping with foreign affairs, especially in the British part of occupied Germany after World War II. He famously told German audiences that the British people forgave them for the war. The first Chancellor of West Germany, Konrad Adenauer, even considered him one of the founders of the new German Republic. Later, he served as the Minister of Civil Aviation (in charge of air travel) and then as the First Lord of the Admiralty (in charge of the Royal Navy).

On television discussion series After Dark in 1988

In 1961, Pakenham inherited the title of Earl of Longford from his brother. From then on, he was known as Lord Longford. When the Labour Party returned to power in 1964 under Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Lord Longford was given important roles: Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords. In December 1965, he became Secretary of State for the Colonies, overseeing British colonies. After a few months, he moved back to being Lord Privy Seal. He later resigned from the government in January 1968. In 1972, he was honored as a Knight of the Garter, a very high award.

Working for Prison Reform

Lord Longford started visiting prisoners in the 1930s when he was a local politician in Oxford. He continued these visits every week, all over the country, until shortly before he died in 2001.

In 1956, he started the New Bridge Foundation. This organization aimed to help prisoners stay connected with society and successfully return to their communities after release.

The New Bridge Foundation also started Inside Time in 1990. This is the only national newspaper specifically for people in UK prisons. Lord Longford organized many discussions in the House of Lords about improving prisons. In 1963, he led a group that suggested changes to how sentences were given and proposed creating a parole system.

Changes to the House of Lords

In 1999, a new law called the House of Lords Act 1999 changed the House of Lords. Most "hereditary peers" (people who inherited their titles and a seat in the Lords) lost their right to vote and sit there. However, Lord Longford was one of a few who were allowed to stay. He was given a new title, a "life peerage," as Baron Pakenham of Cowley. This meant he could remain in the House of Lords until his death. At 93 years old, he was one of the oldest people ever to be given such a title.

His Writings

Lord Longford was very interested in Irish history and wrote several books about it. One of his most famous books, Peace By Ordeal, published in 1935, describes the talks that led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. This treaty created the Irish Free State. He used original documents from that time for his book.

He greatly admired Éamon de Valera, a famous Irish leader. Longford was chosen to co-write de Valera's official biography, which came out in 1970. He also worked for many years to have important paintings from the Hugh Lane bequest returned to Dublin, Ireland.

Family Life

At Oxford, Lord Longford met his future wife, Elizabeth Harman. They had four sons and four daughters. Their children included:

• Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Pakenham (born 1932), a writer.
• Thomas Frank Dermot Pakenham (born 1933), who became the 8th Earl of Longford and is a historian.
• Judith Elizabeth Pakenham (1940–2018), a writer.
• Lady Rachel Mary Pakenham (born 1942), also a writer.
• Hon. Sir Michael Aidan Pakenham (born 1943), a diplomat.
• Lady Catherine Rose Pakenham (1946–1969), a journalist who sadly died young in a car accident.
• Hon. Kevin John Toussaint Pakenham (1947–2020), a banker.

Lord Longford passed away in August 2001 at the age of 95. His wife, Elizabeth, died in October 2002 at 96. She was also a well-known author, writing biographies of Queen Victoria and the Duke of Wellington.

After his death, the Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, said that Lord Longford was "a great man of passionate integrity and humanity, and a great reformer committed to modernising the law, while also caring deeply for individuals."

See also

• The Longford Lectures
• The Longford Prize

Images for kids

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  Longford in 1974

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  Pakenham at his wedding in 1931

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  On television discussion series After Dark in 1988