Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman PC
(24 October 1873 – 17 November 1927) was a British Liberal Party
politician and journalist. He was distantly related to the Gurney
family of Norfolk. His Great-grandfather was William Brodie Gurney
; his brother was John Howard Bertram Masterman who became the Bishop of Plymouth
.
, Cambridge University
, where he was President of the Union, and joint Secretary of Cambridge University Liberal Club from 1895 to 1896. At university he had two primary interests: social reform (influenced by Christian Socialism
) and literature. His first published work was From The Abyss, a collection of articles he had written anonymously whilst living in the slums of south east London. These were highly impressionistic pieces, and reflected his literary leanings. Following this he became involved in journalism and co-edited the English Review with Ford Madox Ford
. In this period of his life he established many of the literary friendships that would be important in his later role of head of British propaganda in World War One
.
, but in the Liberal Party landslide victory at the 1906
, he was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for West Ham North
. In 1909 he published his best known book The Condition of England, in a survey of contemporary society with particular focus on the state of the working class. He married Lucy Blanche Lyttelton (1884–1977), a poet and writer, in 1908. Her biography of him was published in 1939. He worked closely with Winston Churchill
and Lloyd George
on the People's Budget
of 1909 and was responsible for the passage through parliament of the National Insurance Act 1911
. Beatrice Webb
was to note her in her diaries his "almost unnaturally close friendship" with Churchill.
Masterman was re-elected in January 1910 and in December 1910, but the December election was later declared void. He was returned to Parliament
at a by-election
in July 1911 for the Bethnal Green South West
constituency.
He was sworn as a Privy Councillor
in 1912, and in 1914 he was appointed to the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
. However under the law at the time, any MP accepting an "office of profit under the Crown" was legally required to recontest their seat in a by-election. Masterman lost his own seat, though this was not uncommon, and then stood in a by-election at Ipswich, losing again. He resigned from the Government as a result. Many believed that a promising political career had been destroyed by the legal requirement, a hangover from the era when Parliament had sought to curb the influence of the Crown on MPs, which would be amended and finally repealed altogether in the next twelve years.
. In this role, he recruited writers (such as John Buchan
, H. G. Wells
and Arthur Conan Doyle
) and painters (e.g., Francis Dodd
, Paul Nash
) to support the war effort. The main objective of this department was to encourage the United States to enter the war on the British and French side. Lecture tours and exhibitions of paintings were organised in the U.S. Drawing on an extensive network of the most important and influential figures in the London arts scene, Masterman devised the most comprehensive arts patronage schemes ever to be supported in the country. Eventually subsumed into John Buchan’s Department of Information, and in 1918, Lord Beaverbrook’s even grander Ministry of Information, it became a template for the war art scheme in the Second World War, headed by Sir Kenneth Clark.
Masterman played a crucial role in publicising reports of the Armenian Genocide
, in part to strengthen the moral case against the Ottoman Empire. For his role in this, Masterman has been the target of repeated Turkish allegations that he fabricated, or at least embellished, the events for propaganda purposes.
, as MP for Manchester Rusholme
, but by this point the Liberal Party was in decline and, like most other Liberals, he lost his seat in the 1924 general election
. His health declined rapidly, hastened by drug and alcohol abuse. He died in 1927 whilst in the clinic; it has been suggested that he committed suicide.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(24 October 1873 – 17 November 1927) was a British Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and journalist. He was distantly related to the Gurney
Gurney (surname)
Gurney is an English surname of Anglo-Norman origin. Some families with this surname can trace their lineage back to the Counts de Gourney, who arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror in 1066.-Notable families:...
family of Norfolk. His Great-grandfather was William Brodie Gurney
William Brodie Gurney
William Brodie Gurney was a famed English shorthand writer and philanthropist of the 19th century.-Biography:Gurney was the younger son of Joseph Gurney , shorthand writer, who died at Walworth, Surrey, in 1815, by a daughter of William Brodie of Mansfield.He was the grandson of Thomas Gurney ,...
; his brother was John Howard Bertram Masterman who became the Bishop of Plymouth
Bishop of Plymouth
The Bishop of Plymouth is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth in the Province of Southwark, England.The diocese covers an area of and consists of the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset...
.
Early life
He graduated from Christ's CollegeChrist's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he was President of the Union, and joint Secretary of Cambridge University Liberal Club from 1895 to 1896. At university he had two primary interests: social reform (influenced by Christian Socialism
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
) and literature. His first published work was From The Abyss, a collection of articles he had written anonymously whilst living in the slums of south east London. These were highly impressionistic pieces, and reflected his literary leanings. Following this he became involved in journalism and co-edited the English Review with Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature...
. In this period of his life he established many of the literary friendships that would be important in his later role of head of British propaganda in World War One
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Political career
He was an unsuccessful candidate at the Dulwich by-election, 1903Dulwich by-election, 1903
The Dulwich by-election, 1903 was a by-election held on 15 December 1903 for the British House of Commons constituency of Dulwich in South London....
, but in the Liberal Party landslide victory at the 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, he was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for West Ham North
West Ham North (UK Parliament constituency)
West Ham North was a borough constituency in the County Borough of West Ham, in what was then Essex but is now Greater London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.- History :The...
. In 1909 he published his best known book The Condition of England, in a survey of contemporary society with particular focus on the state of the working class. He married Lucy Blanche Lyttelton (1884–1977), a poet and writer, in 1908. Her biography of him was published in 1939. He worked closely with Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
on the People's Budget
People's Budget
The 1909 People's Budget was a product of then British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith's Liberal government, introducing many unprecedented taxes on the wealthy and radical social welfare programmes to Britain's political life...
of 1909 and was responsible for the passage through parliament of the National Insurance Act 1911
National Insurance Act 1911
The National Insurance Act 1911 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act is often regarded as one of the foundations of modern social welfare in the United Kingdom and forms part of the wider social welfare reforms of the Liberal Government of 1906-1914...
. Beatrice Webb
Beatrice Webb
Martha Beatrice Webb, Lady Passfield was an English sociologist, economist, socialist and social reformer. Although her husband became Baron Passfield in 1929, she refused to be known as Lady Passfield...
was to note her in her diaries his "almost unnaturally close friendship" with Churchill.
Masterman was re-elected in January 1910 and in December 1910, but the December election was later declared void. He was returned to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in July 1911 for the Bethnal Green South West
Bethnal Green South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green South West was a constituency in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituency.
He was sworn as a Privy Councillor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1912, and in 1914 he was appointed to the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
. However under the law at the time, any MP accepting an "office of profit under the Crown" was legally required to recontest their seat in a by-election. Masterman lost his own seat, though this was not uncommon, and then stood in a by-election at Ipswich, losing again. He resigned from the Government as a result. Many believed that a promising political career had been destroyed by the legal requirement, a hangover from the era when Parliament had sought to curb the influence of the Crown on MPs, which would be amended and finally repealed altogether in the next twelve years.
War role
When the First World War began, he served as head of the British War Propaganda Bureau (WPB), set up at Wellington House, London, whose sole aim was to provide support for Britain through the manipulation of information about the Central PowersCentral Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
. In this role, he recruited writers (such as John Buchan
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation....
, H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
and Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
) and painters (e.g., Francis Dodd
Francis Dodd
Francis Edgar Dodd RA was a notable British portrait and landscape artist and printmaker.Born in Holyhead, north Wales, the son of a Wesleyan minister, Dodd trained at the Glasgow School of Art, winning the Haldene Scholarship in 1893 and travelling around France, Italy and later Spain...
, Paul Nash
Paul Nash (artist)
Paul Nash was a British landscape painter, surrealist and war artist, as well as a book-illustrator, writer and designer of applied art. He was the older brother of the artist John Nash.-Early life:...
) to support the war effort. The main objective of this department was to encourage the United States to enter the war on the British and French side. Lecture tours and exhibitions of paintings were organised in the U.S. Drawing on an extensive network of the most important and influential figures in the London arts scene, Masterman devised the most comprehensive arts patronage schemes ever to be supported in the country. Eventually subsumed into John Buchan’s Department of Information, and in 1918, Lord Beaverbrook’s even grander Ministry of Information, it became a template for the war art scheme in the Second World War, headed by Sir Kenneth Clark.
Masterman played a crucial role in publicising reports of the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, in part to strengthen the moral case against the Ottoman Empire. For his role in this, Masterman has been the target of repeated Turkish allegations that he fabricated, or at least embellished, the events for propaganda purposes.
Later life
In 1919, he suggested to his colleagues that they pay attention to Mustafa Kemal and said " This Kemal will bother us a lot". Masterman eventually returned to the House of Commons in the 1923 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, as MP for Manchester Rusholme
Manchester Rusholme (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Rusholme was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rusholme district of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
, but by this point the Liberal Party was in decline and, like most other Liberals, he lost his seat in the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. His health declined rapidly, hastened by drug and alcohol abuse. He died in 1927 whilst in the clinic; it has been suggested that he committed suicide.
Further reading
- Eric Hopkins - Biography of Charles Masterman (1873-1927) Politician and Journalist: The Spendid Failure