Jack Lawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Lawson
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| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office 3 August 1945 – 4 October 1946 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Sir P. J. Grigg |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Bellenger |
| Financial Secretary to the War Office | |
| In office 23 January 1924 – 11 November 1924 |
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| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | Rupert Gwynne |
| Succeeded by | Douglas King |
| Member of Parliament for Chester-le-Street |
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| In office 13 November 1919 – 19 December 1949 |
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| Preceded by | John Wilkinson Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Bartley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 October 1881 Whitehaven, Cumberland |
| Died | 3 August 1965 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Ruskin College, Oxford |
John James Lawson, 1st Baron Lawson (born October 16, 1881 – died August 3, 1965) was a British politician and a leader in trade unions. He started his life as a coal miner. Later, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party. He served in the governments led by Ramsay MacDonald and Clement Attlee. In 1950, he was given the special title of Baron Lawson, which meant he became a member of the House of Lords. People often called him Lord Lawson of Beamish.
Contents
Early Life and Mining Career
John James Lawson was born in Whitehaven, a port town in Cumberland, England. He grew up in a nearby village called Kells. His father was a sailor and miner who started working in coal mines when he was very young. His mother was quite strict. The family was very poor, which was common at that time.
When he was three, Lawson went to a local school and learned to read. He loved reading stories and poems. His family moved several times, eventually settling in County Durham. There, many family members, including his father and older brothers, worked at the Boldon Colliery coal mine. His family was very involved in trade unions, which are groups that protect workers' rights.
Lawson began working in the coal mine the day after his twelfth birthday. His first job was a "trapper," which meant he opened and closed doors for the coal wagons. He worked ten hours a day and earned ten pence. This job made him feel more like an adult. After a few months, he became a "driver," guiding ponies that pulled coal wagons. Later, he did "off-hand work," which involved braking wagons on slopes and managing signal bells.
He started going to union meetings, including the big annual Durham Miners' Gala. By age eighteen, he was a "putter," pushing coal wagons, and began speaking up for the union. He realized that manual workers were often underpaid and not valued enough. These ideas led him to join the Methodist Society, where his views were more accepted. Through reading newspapers like Labour Leader, he discovered he was a socialist, meaning he believed in fairness and equality for all people. In 1906, he married Isabella Graham Scott.
Becoming a Trade Union Leader
In 1904, Lawson joined a new local branch of the Independent Labour Party (ILP). He was asked to speak, but he wasn't sure he could do it. He found a socialist bookshop in Newcastle where he met people who thought like him. He read many books about economics and society. That year, he became a "hewer," working at the coal face, which was the most skilled mining job. Soon after, he was elected as an assistant "checkweighman." A checkweighman made sure miners were paid correctly for the coal they dug.
Lawson wanted to continue his education. He started teaching boys who worked in the mine and helped set up a school for adults. In 1905, he became a speaker for the ILP, sharing his socialist ideas with miners in Durham. Many miners traditionally supported the Liberal Party, so this was a new idea for them.
He also joined a correspondence class with Ruskin College, Oxford, a college for working-class students. The college offered him a scholarship, but he still needed to find money for part of his studies and living costs. With help from others and by selling some of their furniture, Lawson and his wife managed to go to Oxford. His wife found work there as a servant. At Ruskin, he learned a lot from his teachers, especially about economics.
After his studies, Lawson returned to the mine. He became well-known in the county as a speaker for both the ILP and the union. He helped negotiate for his union and was a delegate to the Miner's Council in Durham. In 1910, he was elected as a checkweighman at Alma Colliery. This was an important job, ensuring miners got fair pay.
A Member of Parliament
Two years after moving to Chester-le-Street, Lawson was elected to the County Council for that area. He wrote a pamphlet arguing for a minimum wage for miners and was a key figure during the 1912 miners' strike.
When World War I began in 1914, Lawson volunteered to serve in the army. He joined the Royal Field Artillery as a driver in France. Sadly, his younger brother, Will, who he had helped tutor, died in battle in 1916.
After the war, in 1919, a friend of Lawson's, John Taylor, who was the Labour MP for Chester-le-Street, resigned due to poor health. Lawson was persuaded to run for the seat. He won the election by a large number of votes and became a Member of Parliament in November 1919.
In 1924, Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, appointed Lawson as the Financial Secretary to the War Office. He worked closely with Clement Attlee, and they became very good friends. Lawson also served as a secretary in the Ministry of Labour in 1929. However, he refused to join a "National Government" in 1931 when the Labour Party split.
The 1931 election was very difficult for the Labour Party, but Lawson was one of only two Labour MPs in Durham to keep his seat. During the 1930s, he wrote several books, including his autobiography, A Man's Life, which shared stories about miners' family lives. He also wrote for newspapers.
Later Years and Legacy
When Clement Attlee became the leader of the Labour Party in 1935, he asked Lawson to join a new Defence Committee. In 1936, Lawson wrote an article predicting that the government's policy of "appeasement" (trying to avoid war by giving in to demands) would lead to war. He also predicted that Winston Churchill, who was not very popular at the time, would become Prime Minister.
Before World War II started, Lawson was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Civil Defence in the Northern Region. He helped prepare for air raids and possible invasions, and organized shelters and relief efforts. Sadly, his son, Clive, was killed by a bomb in 1942.
After Labour won the 1945 election, Lawson was appointed Secretary of State for War. This meant he was in charge of the army. He traveled widely, visiting troops in India and the Far East. He was very popular with the soldiers because he listened to them and saw things for himself, rather than just following official plans. He helped plan for post-war operations and the quick return of soldiers home. However, his health began to suffer, and he had to leave his job in October 1946.
In 1949, the King appointed Jack Lawson as Lord Lieutenant of Durham, a special representative of the monarch in the county. He also resigned from Parliament to become vice-chairman of the National Parks Commission. In March 1950, he was made a hereditary peer as Baron Lawson, of Beamish. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords.
Lawson retired as Lord Lieutenant in 1958 and passed away in 1965 at the age of 83. His special title, Baron Lawson, ended when he died because he had no male heirs.
The Lord Lawson of Beamish Community School is named in his honor, remembering his contributions to education and public service.
Books by John James Lawson
- John James Lawson (1944). A man's life. Hodder & Stoughton, 1944.
Images for kids
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Lawson's grave in St Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
