William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Earl of Listowel GCMG PC
Listowel in 1962, by Walter Bird
Governor-General of Ghana
In office 13 November 1957 – 1 July 1960
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Kwame Nkrumah
Preceded by	Kobina Arku Korsah
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Other ministerial offices Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries In office 22 November 1950 – 26 October 1951 Serving with George-Brown Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by The Earl of Huntingdon Percy Collick Succeeded by The Lord Carrington Richard Nugent Minister of State for the Colonies In office 4 January 1948 – 28 February 1950 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by New office Succeeded by John Dugdale Secretary of State for Burma In office 14 August 1947 – 4 January 1948 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by New office Succeeded by Office abolished Secretary of State for India and Burma In office 17 April 1947 – 14 August 1947 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by The Lord Pethick-Lawrence Succeeded by Office abolished Himself (Burma) Minister of Information In office 26 February 1946 – 31 March 1946 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by Edward Williams Succeeded by Office abolished Postmaster General In office 19 October 1945 – 17 April 1947 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Clement Attlee Preceded by Harry Crookshank Succeeded by Wilfred Paling Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma Deputy Leader of the House of Lords In office 31 October 1944 – 23 May 1945 Monarch George VI Prime Minister Winston Churchill Preceded by The Earl of Munster Succeeded by The Earl of Scarbrough
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 16 November 1931 – 12 March 1997 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 4th Earl of Listowel
Succeeded by	The 6th Earl of Listowel
Personal details
Born	(1906-09-28)28 September 1906
Died	12 March 1997(1997-03-12) (aged 90)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouses	1 Judith de Marffy-Mantuana (2) Stephanie Wise (3) Pamela Day
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford Magdalene College, Cambridge King's College London (PhD)

William Francis Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel (born September 28, 1906 – died March 12, 1997), was an important British politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. He is known for being the very last Secretary of State for India and also the last Governor-General of Ghana.

Early Life and Education

William Francis Hare was the oldest son of Richard Hare, 4th Earl of Listowel. His mother was Freda, whose father was the 2nd Baron Derwent. William also had a younger brother, John Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham, who later became a government minister for the Conservative Party.

William went to some famous schools. He studied at Eton College, then at Balliol College, Oxford, Magdalene College, Cambridge, and finally earned a PhD from King's College London in 1932.

A Career in Politics

William Hare started his political career after his father passed away in 1931. This meant he became the 5th Earl of Listowel and joined the House of Lords. The House of Lords is part of the British Parliament.

Key Roles in Government

During World War II, from 1941 to 1944, he worked as a whip for the Labour Party in the House of Lords. A whip helps make sure party members vote together. He also served as the Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.

When the Labour Party won the election in 1945, led by Clement Attlee, Lord Listowel was given several important jobs:

• He was the Postmaster General from 1945 to 1947. This role was in charge of the postal service.
• For a short time in 1946, he was the Minister of Information. This office was then closed down.

Helping Countries Become Independent

In April 1947, Lord Listowel became the Secretary of State for India and Burma. This was a very important job because India was about to become independent from British rule. Even though he held this title, Prime Minister Attlee made most of the big decisions about India.

After India gained its independence in August 1947, his job title changed to Secretary of State for Burma. Burma also became independent soon after, in January 1948. After this, Lord Listowel left the main cabinet.

He continued to work for the government in other roles:

• From 1948 to 1950, he was the Minister of State for Colonial Affairs.
• From 1950 to 1951, he was the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Governor-General of Ghana

In 1957, Lord Listowel was appointed the Governor-General of Ghana. Ghana is a country in West Africa. He held this position until 1960, when Ghana became a republic. This meant Ghana would have its own head of state, not a representative of the British monarch.

After his time in Ghana, he continued to be active in the House of Lords. He was the Chairman of Committees from 1965 to 1976. He gave his last speech in the House of Lords in July 1995, when he was 88 years old.

Other Public Service

Besides his work in national politics, Lord Listowel was also involved in local government. He was a member of the London County Council for East Lewisham from 1937 to 1946. Later, he represented Battersea North on the council from 1952 to 1957.

In 1946, he became a Privy Counsellor. This is an honor given to important people who advise the Queen or King. In 1957, he was also made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, which is a high honor for people who have served the country abroad.

Family Life

Lord Listowel was married three times:

• His first marriage was to Judith de Marffy-Mantuana in 1933. They had one daughter named Deirdre. They divorced in 1945.
• His second marriage was to Stephanie Sandra Yvonne Wise in 1958. They had one daughter. They divorced in 1963.
• His third marriage was to Pamela Day in 1963. They had two sons and one daughter.

Later Years and Death

Lord Listowel passed away in March 1997 at the age of 90. His oldest son from his third marriage, Francis, became the 6th Earl of Listowel.