Richard Law, 1st Baron Coleraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Coleraine
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| Minister of Education | |
| In office 24 May 1945 – 26 July 1945 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Rab Butler |
| Succeeded by | Ellen Wilkinson |
| Member of Parliament for Haltemprice |
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| In office 23 February 1950 – 15 January 1954 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Wall |
| Member of Parliament for Kensington South |
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| In office 20 November 1945 – 3 February 1950 |
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| Preceded by | William Davison |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Spens |
| Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull South West |
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| In office 27 October 1931 – 15 June 1945 |
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| Preceded by | John Arnott |
| Succeeded by | Sydney Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Kidston Law
27 February 1901 |
| Died | 15 November 1980 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses |
Mary Virginia Nellis
(m. 1929; |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Bonar Law Annie Robley Law |
| Education | Shrewsbury School |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Politician |
Richard Kidston Law, 1st Baron Coleraine (born February 27, 1901 – died November 15, 1980) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party.
Early Life and Family
Richard Law was the youngest of six children. His father, Bonar Law, was a businessman and a Conservative politician. He even became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. Richard's mother was Annie Pitcairn Robley.
The family faced sadness during World War I. Richard's brother, Charlie, was killed in 1917 while fighting in the army. Later that same year, his brother James, who was a pilot, was also killed.
Richard went to Shrewsbury School and then studied at St John's College, Oxford University.
Political Career
Richard Law started his political journey by becoming a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1931. An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area in the British Parliament. He represented the area of Kingston upon Hull South West until 1945.
During World War II, he held several important government jobs:
- In 1940, he became the Financial Secretary to the War Office. This meant he helped manage the money for the army.
- From 1940 to 1943, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In this role, he helped with Britain's relationships with other countries.
- He took part in the Bermuda Conference in 1943. This meeting discussed what could be done to help Jewish people in Europe during the war.
- He became a member of the Privy Council in 1943. The Privy Council is a group of advisors to the King or Queen.
From 1943 to 1945, he was the Minister of State at the Foreign Office, a senior role in international affairs. Briefly in 1945, he served as the Minister of Education in Winston Churchill's temporary government. This government was called a "caretaker government" because it was in place for a short time before a new election.
After losing his seat in 1945, he was elected again as an MP for Kensington South in November 1945. He held this seat until 1950.
In 1951, Richard Law was elected as an MP for Haltemprice. However, he left this position in 1954. In February 1954, he was given a special title and became Baron Coleraine. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords, which is the upper house of the British Parliament. After this, he traveled to the United States and Russia to give talks.
Books He Wrote
Richard Law, as Lord Coleraine, also wrote books sharing his political ideas.
- In 1950, he published Return from Utopia. In this book, he argued that trying to create a perfect society (a "Utopia") using government power could actually take away people's freedom. He believed that freedom and individual choice were very important.
- In 1970, he wrote For Conservatives Only. In this book, he criticized some of the leaders of the Conservative Party. He felt they were changing their core beliefs just to win elections.
Personal Life
On January 26, 1929, Richard Law married Mary Virginia Nellis. They had two children:
- James Law, 2nd Baron Coleraine (born 1931)
- Hon. Andrew Bonar Law (born 1933)
Mary Virginia Nellis, Lady Coleraine, passed away in 1978. Lord Coleraine himself died on November 15, 1980, at the age of 79. His son, James, took over his title as the 2nd Baron Coleraine.
Arms
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