Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Passfield
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Webb in 1893
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| President of the Board of Trade | |
| In office 22 January 1924 – 3 November 1924 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | Sir Philip Lloyd-Graeme |
| Succeeded by | Sir Philip Lloyd-Graeme |
| Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs | |
| In office 7 June 1929 – 5 June 1930 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | Leo Amery |
| Succeeded by | James Henry Thomas |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 7 June 1929 – 24 August 1931 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | Leo Amery |
| Succeeded by | James Henry Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sidney James Webb
13 July 1859 London, England |
| Died | 13 October 1947 (aged 88) Liphook, Hampshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Birkbeck, University of London King's College London |
Sidney James Webb, 1st Baron Passfield (born July 13, 1859 – died October 13, 1947) was an important British socialist, economist, and reformer. He helped create the famous London School of Economics.
Sidney Webb was an early member of the Fabian Society in 1884. This group aimed to improve society through gradual changes. Along with his wife Beatrice Webb and other key thinkers like George Bernard Shaw, Webb helped make the Fabian Society a very influential group in England. He also wrote the original plan for the British Labour Party to take public control of industries.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sidney Webb was born in London, England, on Cranbourn Street. His father worked as an accountant and perfumer, and his mother was a hairdresser. The family lived comfortably.
Webb went to a good middle-class school. His parents also sent him to Switzerland and Germany to continue his education. Later, while working in an office, he studied law in his free time at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution. He also studied at King's College London before becoming a lawyer in 1885.
Professional Achievements
In 1895, Sidney Webb helped establish the London School of Economics (LSE). This was made possible by a gift left to the Fabian Society. He became a professor there in 1912 and taught for 15 years.
In 1892, he married Beatrice Potter. She shared his interests and beliefs about society. Her money allowed him to leave his office job and focus on his other important work. Together, Sidney and Beatrice Webb started the New Statesman magazine in 1913. This magazine became a well-known publication for political and cultural ideas.
Political Career and Influence
Sidney and Beatrice Webb were active members of the Labour Party. Sidney became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Seaham in 1922.
Their home was a meeting place for a dining club called the Coefficients. This club brought together important politicians and thinkers of the time. In 1929, Sidney Webb was given the title Baron Passfield. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords.
He served as the Secretary of State for the Colonies and Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in Ramsay MacDonald's second Labour Government, starting in 1929. As Colonial Secretary, he wrote the Passfield White Paper. This paper changed the government's policy on Palestine. In 1930, due to his health, he stepped down as Dominions Secretary. However, he remained Colonial Secretary until the Labour government ended in August 1931.
The Webbs wrote several books together. One important work was The History of Trade Unionism (1894). For the Fabian Society, Sidney Webb wrote about poverty, working hours, and education. He also helped draft Clause IV, which committed the Labour Party to public ownership of industries.
Later Life and Legacy
When his wife, Beatrice, passed away in 1943, her ashes were buried in their garden. Sidney Webb's ashes were also buried there when he died in 1947.
Later, George Bernard Shaw led a request to have both Sidney and Beatrice reburied in Westminster Abbey. This request was approved. Their ashes are now in the nave of the Abbey, near other important figures like Clement Attlee.
The London School of Economics honored Sidney Webb in 2006. They renamed one of their student residences Sidney Webb House.
Archives
Sidney Webb's papers are kept at the London School of Economics. They are part of the Passfield archive. The LSE Archives blog often shares information about Sidney Webb.
See also
In Spanish: Sidney Webb para niños
