Thomas McKinnon Wood
Encyclopedia
Thomas McKinnon Wood PC (26 January 1855 – 26 March 1927) was a British
Liberal
politician. He was a member of H. H. Asquith
's cabinet as Secretary for Scotland
between 1912 and 1916 and as Financial Secretary to the Treasury
and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
between July and December 1916. He was also involved in London
politics and served as Chairman of the London County Council between 1898 and 1899.
, Wood was the only son of Hugh Wood, a merchant and shipowner, by his second wife Jessie McKinnon, daughter of Reverend Thomas McKinnon. His father had been born in Orkney, where his father was a farmer, but had later settled in London. Wood was educated at Mill Hill School
and University College, London. After his father lost his sight, he joined the family business.
for Central Hackney from 1892 to 1909. From 1898 to 1907 he was leader of the Progressive Party
and also served as Chairman of the Council from 1898 to 1899. In 1907 he was appointed Alderman
, a post he held until 1909. He was also Deputy Lieutenant
for the County of London
in 1899.
Wood stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for East Islington in 1895, Glasgow St. Rollox
in 1900 and Orkney and Shetland
in 1902. However, in 1906 he was elected for Glasgow St Rollox as a Liberal
, a seat he held until 1918. In April 1908 Wood was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education
in the administration of H. H. Asquith
, a post he held until October of the same year, when he became Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
In 1911 he was made Financial Secretary to the Treasury
and admitted to the Privy Council. The following year he was promoted to Secretary for Scotland with a seat in the cabinet. He continued in this post also when the war-time coalition was formed in May 1915. In July 1916 he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
and Financial Secretary to the Treasury
. The latter post was considered very important in the war-time situation, and was not seen as a demotion.
However, when Lloyd George
became Prime Minister in December 1916, Wood was not offered a post in the government. He remained in the House of Commons until 1918, when he lost his Glasgow St Rollox seat to Gideon Oliphant-Murray
. He stood unsuccessfully for Hackney Central
in 1924, but never returned to the House of Commons..
In the eyes of many McKinnon Wood conducted himself dishonourably in the treatment of the famous Glasgow Detective John Thompson Trench. Trench had misgivings over the Oscar Slater
conviction (which was quashed in 1928 and is a permanent stain on Liberal politicians handling of justice.) The enquiry McKinnon Wood relutanctly agreed to in 1914 was a charade which William Roughead
described as "Gilbertian" and others as a farce as witnesses were not even put on oath. Trench was eventually sacked, faced trumped up reset charges the following year which the Lord Justice Clerk threw out. McKinnon Wood, having sought the views of Trench did not protect him and indeed did not even reply to correspondence. It would appear the Glasgow voters (whose petition and letters to Lord Pentland, the Scottish Secretary at the time of the trial in 1909, saved Slater from the gallows) did not forget and he was not returned to Parliament at the subsequent elections.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
politician. He was a member of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
's cabinet as Secretary for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
between 1912 and 1916 and as Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
and 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...
between July and December 1916. He was also involved in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
politics and served as Chairman of the London County Council between 1898 and 1899.
Background and education
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wood was the only son of Hugh Wood, a merchant and shipowner, by his second wife Jessie McKinnon, daughter of Reverend Thomas McKinnon. His father had been born in Orkney, where his father was a farmer, but had later settled in London. Wood was educated at Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School, in Mill Hill, London, is a coeducational independent school for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, an organisation of public schools in the United Kingdom....
and University College, London. After his father lost his sight, he joined the family business.
Political career
Wood was a member of the London County CouncilLondon County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
for Central Hackney from 1892 to 1909. From 1898 to 1907 he was leader of the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
and also served as Chairman of the Council from 1898 to 1899. In 1907 he was appointed Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, a post he held until 1909. He was also Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
in 1899.
Wood stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for East Islington in 1895, Glasgow St. Rollox
Glasgow St. Rollox (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow St. Rollox was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1900 and Orkney and Shetland
Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)
Orkney and Shetland is a constituency of 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...
in 1902. However, in 1906 he was elected for Glasgow St Rollox as a 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...
, a seat he held until 1918. In April 1908 Wood was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education was a junior ministerial office in the United Kingdom Government. In 1899 the Board of Education Act abolished the Committee of the Privy Council which had been responsible for education matters and instituted a new Board from 1 April 1900. The...
in the administration of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, a post he held until October of the same year, when he became Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
In 1911 he was made Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
and admitted to the Privy Council. The following year he was promoted to Secretary for Scotland with a seat in the cabinet. He continued in this post also when the war-time coalition was formed in May 1915. In July 1916 he was appointed 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...
and Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
. The latter post was considered very important in the war-time situation, and was not seen as a demotion.
However, when Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
became Prime Minister in December 1916, Wood was not offered a post in the government. He remained in the House of Commons until 1918, when he lost his Glasgow St Rollox seat to Gideon Oliphant-Murray
Gideon Oliphant-Murray, 2nd Viscount Elibank
Gideon Oliphant-Murray, 2nd Viscount Elibank was a Scottish politician and nobleman, inheriting the viscountcy as the eldest surviving son of 1st Viscount Elibank....
. He stood unsuccessfully for Hackney Central
Hackney Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Hackney Central was a borough constituency in what was then the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in 1924, but never returned to the House of Commons..
In the eyes of many McKinnon Wood conducted himself dishonourably in the treatment of the famous Glasgow Detective John Thompson Trench. Trench had misgivings over the Oscar Slater
Oscar Slater
Oscar Joseph Slater was a victim of British miscarriage of justice. He was born Oscar Leschziner in Oppeln, Upper Silesia, Germany to a Jewish family. Around 1893, to evade military service, he moved to London where he worked as a bookmaker using various names, including Anderson, before settling...
conviction (which was quashed in 1928 and is a permanent stain on Liberal politicians handling of justice.) The enquiry McKinnon Wood relutanctly agreed to in 1914 was a charade which William Roughead
William Roughead
William Roughead was a well-known Scottish lawyer and amateur criminologist, as well as an editor and essayist on "matters criminous". He was an important early practitioner of the modern "true crime" literary genre.-Career:...
described as "Gilbertian" and others as a farce as witnesses were not even put on oath. Trench was eventually sacked, faced trumped up reset charges the following year which the Lord Justice Clerk threw out. McKinnon Wood, having sought the views of Trench did not protect him and indeed did not even reply to correspondence. It would appear the Glasgow voters (whose petition and letters to Lord Pentland, the Scottish Secretary at the time of the trial in 1909, saved Slater from the gallows) did not forget and he was not returned to Parliament at the subsequent elections.