William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Harlech
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 28 May 1936 – 16 May 1938 |
|
| Monarch | Edward VIII George VI |
| Prime Minister | Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | J. H. Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm MacDonald |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
|
| In office 1938 – 14 February 1964 as a hereditary peer |
|
| Preceded by | The 3rd Baron Harlech |
| Succeeded by | The 5th Baron Harlech |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 April 1885 |
| Died | 14 February 1964 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Lady Beatrice Gascoyne-Cecil
(m. 1913) |
William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech (born April 11, 1885 – died February 14, 1964) was an important British politician and banker. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He held several important government jobs during his career.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Ormsby-Gore was born in London on April 11, 1885. His father was George Ormsby-Gore, 3rd Baron Harlech. William went to famous schools like Eton College and New College, Oxford University.
Military Service and World War I
William Ormsby-Gore joined the Territorial Army in 1907. He became a second lieutenant in the Shropshire Yeomanry.
When First World War started in 1914, he went to Egypt with his regiment. He became a captain in 1915. In 1916, he joined the Arab Bureau as an intelligence officer. He worked with the British High Commissioner, Sir Henry A. McMahon.
Ormsby-Gore did not agree with the secret Sykes-Picot Treaty. This treaty planned to divide lands in the Middle East between Britain and its allies. He believed that Britain should support people's right to govern themselves. He also challenged the idea that people in Africa could not govern themselves. He thought that prejudice was the real problem. After becoming a Member of Parliament, he pushed the British government to support the League of Nations' plan for mandates. This system meant that stronger countries would help guide weaker ones towards independence.
In 1917, he returned to England. He worked for Lord Milner and Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He was also a friend of Chaim Weizmann, a leader of the Zionist movement. Weizmann stayed at Ormsby-Gore's home in London. Ormsby-Gore later worked as a British military officer with the Zionist mission in the Holy Land. After the war, he was part of the British team at the peace conference in Paris in 1919.
Political Career
William Ormsby-Gore became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1910. He first represented Denbigh Boroughs. Later, he was elected for Stafford in 1918. He served in the House of Commons until 1938. In 1938, he became the 4th Baron Harlech after his father passed away. This meant he moved to the House of Lords.
From 1921 to 1922, he was Britain's representative to the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations. He helped make this commission stronger. He also helped create a way for people in mandated territories to complain to the League of Nations. This made colonial powers more responsible.
He served as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1922 to 1929. In 1927, he joined the Privy Council.
In the National Government, he held several important roles:
- Postmaster-General in 1931.
- First Commissioner of Works from 1931 to 1936.
- Colonial Secretary from 1936 to 1938.
He resigned as Colonial Secretary in 1938. This was to protest the idea of dividing Palestine. After his resignation, he was honored with the title Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG). He also strongly spoke out against Nazi Germany at that time.
During the Second World War, he was a Civil Defence Commissioner for North-East England. Then, he became the High Commissioner to South Africa from 1941 to 1944.
Cultural Interests and Later Work
Lord Harlech had a large library at his home in Shropshire, called Brogyntyn. He later moved out and downsized his collection. He and his father gave a valuable collection of old manuscripts to the National Library of Wales.
He also wrote several books:
- Florentine Sculptors of the Fifteenth Century (1930)
- Guide to the Mantegna Cartoons at Hampton Court (1935)
- Three books in the Guides to the Ancient Monuments of England series.
After leaving politics, he worked on the board of Midland Bank. He was also chairman of the Bank of West Africa. He held the honorary job of Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire from 1938 to 1957. In 1948, he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG).
Lord Harlech loved the arts. He was a trustee of the National Gallery from 1927. He was also a trustee of the Tate Gallery from 1945 to 1953. He chaired the advisory committee for the Victoria and Albert Museum. He also led the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries from 1948 to 1956.
He was President of the National Library of Wales from 1950 to 1958. He was also Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales. He was the Constable (a ceremonial role) of Harlech and Caernarfon castles.
Family Life
Lord Harlech married Lady Beatrice Edith Mildred Gascoyne-Cecil in 1913. She was born in 1891 and passed away in 1980. They had six children:
- Mary Hermione Ormsby-Gore (1914–2006)
- Owen Gerard Cecil Ormsby-Gore (1916–1935)
- William David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech (1918–1985)
- Katherine Margaret Alice Ormsby-Gore (1921–2017)
- Captain John Julian Stafford Ormsby-Gore (1925–2008)
- Elizabeth Jane Ormsby-Gore (1929–2004)
Lord Harlech passed away in February 1964, at the age of 78. His eldest living son, David, became the 5th Baron. David also became a politician and served as the British Ambassador to the United States in the 1960s. Lady Beatrice Harlech, who was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth, died in 1980.
Coat of Arms
|
