Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby
Encyclopedia
Major
Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby PC TD
(4 December 1894 – 14 February 1967) was a British politician and cabinet minister. A younger son of Prime Minister David Lloyd George
, he served as Home Secretary
from 1954 to 1957.
in north Wales
, Lloyd George was the second son of Liberal
Prime Minister David Lloyd George
and his first wife, Margaret
, daughter of Richard Owen. His sister Megan
was also active in politics, but the two moved in opposite political directions - Gwilym to the right, towards the Conservatives, and Megan to the left, eventually joining the Labour Party. Educated at Eastbourne College
and Jesus College, Cambridge
, Lloyd George was commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers
in 1914. In 1915 he became Aide de Camp to Major-General Ivor Phillips, commander of the 38th (Welsh) Division. He transferred to the Anti-Aircraft branch of the Royal Garrison Artillery
in 1916 and rose to the rank of Major
, being known for most of his political career as Major Lloyd George.
(MP) for Pembrokeshire
from 1922 to 1924 and again from 1929 to 1950 (though by the late 1940s he was in effect an Independent Liberal in alliance with the Conservatives). From 1951 to 1957 he was Liberal and Conservative MP (see National Liberal
) for Newcastle upon Tyne North
. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
in 1931 and again from 1939 to 1941, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
1941–1942. He was Minister of Fuel and Power 1942–1945, Minister of Food
1951–1954, and Home Secretary
and Minister for Welsh Affairs from 1954 until his retirement in 1957, when he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Tenby, of Bulford in the County of Pembroke.
(b. 1927). He died in February 1967, aged 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son, David. Lady Tenby died in 1971.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Gwilym Lloyd George, 1st Viscount Tenby PC TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
(4 December 1894 – 14 February 1967) was a British politician and cabinet minister. A younger son of Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, he served as Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
from 1954 to 1957.
Background, education and military service
Born at CricciethCriccieth
Criccieth is a town and community on Cardigan Bay, in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The town lies west of Porthmadog, east of Pwllheli and south of Caernarfon. It has a population of 1,826....
in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Lloyd George was the second son of Liberal
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...
Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and his first wife, Margaret
Margaret Lloyd George
Dame Margaret Lloyd George, GBE , née Margaret Owen, was the first wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George - from 1888 until her death in 1941.-Biography:...
, daughter of Richard Owen. His sister Megan
Megan Lloyd George
Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George CH was a British politician, the first female Member of Parliament for a Welsh constituency, and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. She later became a Labour MP....
was also active in politics, but the two moved in opposite political directions - Gwilym to the right, towards the Conservatives, and Megan to the left, eventually joining the Labour Party. Educated at Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
and Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, Lloyd George was commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
in 1914. In 1915 he became Aide de Camp to Major-General Ivor Phillips, commander of the 38th (Welsh) Division. He transferred to the Anti-Aircraft branch of the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
in 1916 and rose to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, being known for most of his political career as Major Lloyd George.
Political career
Lloyd George was Liberal Member of ParliamentMember 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 Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Pembrokeshire was a parliamentary constituency based on the county of Pembrokeshire in Wales. 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.- History :...
from 1922 to 1924 and again from 1929 to 1950 (though by the late 1940s he was in effect an Independent Liberal in alliance with the Conservatives). From 1951 to 1957 he was Liberal and Conservative MP (see National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
) for Newcastle upon Tyne North
Newcastle upon Tyne North (UK Parliament constituency)
Newcastle upon Tyne North is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board of Trade....
in 1931 and again from 1939 to 1941, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food Control, later the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food was a junior Ministerial post in the Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1921 and then from 1939 to 1954...
1941–1942. He was Minister of Fuel and Power 1942–1945, Minister of Food
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
1951–1954, and Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
and Minister for Welsh Affairs from 1954 until his retirement in 1957, when he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Tenby, of Bulford in the County of Pembroke.
Family
Lord Tenby married Edna Gwenfron, daughter of David Jones, in 1921. They had two children: David Lloyd George, 2nd Viscount Tenby (1922-1983), and William Lloyd George, 3rd Viscount TenbyWilliam Lloyd George, 3rd Viscount Tenby
William Lloyd George, 3rd Viscount Tenby is a British peer and soldier. He is one of the ninety hereditary peers in the House of Lords, elected to remain after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999....
(b. 1927). He died in February 1967, aged 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son, David. Lady Tenby died in 1971.
Further reading
- Sweeting, Andrew. entry in Dictionary of Liberal Biography Brack et al. (eds.) Politico's Publishing, 1998
- http://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/uploads/25-Winter%25201999-2000.pdf A breach in the family: the defection from the Liberal Party of Megan and Gwilym Lloyd George by J Graham Jones