William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel
Encyclopedia
William Francis Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel GCMG
, PC (28 September 1906 – 12 March 1997), styled Viscount Ennismore between 1924 and 1931, was a British
peer and Labour
politician. He was the last Secretary of State for India
as well as the last Governor General of Ghana.
, the old Anglo-Irish
aristocracy
. He was the eldest son of The Rt. Hon. Richard Hare, 4th Earl of Listowel, and the Hon. Freda, daughter of Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 2nd Baron Derwent. John Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham
, a Conservative Cabinet minister, was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton College
, Balliol College, Oxford
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
.
on the death of his father in November 1931 and made his maiden speech in March of the following year. He was a Labour Party whip in House of Lords from 1941 to 1944 and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma from 1944 to 1945.
When Labour came to power in 1945 under Clement Attlee
, Listowel was appointed Postmaster-General
, a post he held until April 1947, and was briefly Minister of Information between February and March 1946, when the office was abolished. In April 1947 he entered the cabinet as Secretary of State for India and Burma
. The office was renamed Secretary of State for Burma after India gained independence in August 1947, and was finally abolished in January 1948 when Burma also gained independence. He continued to serve under Attlee as Minister of State for Colonial Affairs from 1948 to 1950 and as Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1950 to 1951, although he was not a member of the cabinet after January 1948. In 1957 he was appointed Governor-General of Ghana, a post he held until 1960, when Ghana became a Republic. He was later Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords between 1965 and 1976. He remained an active member of the House of Lords, speaking for the last time in July 1995, aged 88.
Apart from his career in national politics Lord Listowel was a member of London County Council
for East Lewisham between 1937 and 1946,and for Battersea North between 1952 and 1957. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1946 and a GCMG
in 1957.
, daughter of Raoul de Marffy-Mantuana, in 1933. They had one daughter but were divorced in 1945. He married secondly Stephanie Sandra Yvonne, daughter of Sam Wise, in 1958. They had one daughter but were divorced in 1963. He married thirdly Pamela Mollie (née Day) in 1963. They had two sons and one daughter. Lord Listowel died in March 1997, aged 90, and was succeeded by his eldest son from his third marriage, Francis
.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, PC (28 September 1906 – 12 March 1997), styled Viscount Ennismore between 1924 and 1931, was a British
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...
peer and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician. He was the last Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
as well as the last Governor General of Ghana.
Background and education
Lord Listowel was born into The AscendancyProtestant Ascendancy
The Protestant Ascendancy, usually known in Ireland simply as the Ascendancy, is a phrase used when referring to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by a minority of great landowners, Protestant clergy, and professionals, all members of the Established Church during the 17th...
, the old Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
. He was the eldest son of The Rt. Hon. Richard Hare, 4th Earl of Listowel, and the Hon. Freda, daughter of Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 2nd Baron Derwent. John Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham
John Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham
John Hugh Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham OBE, PC, DL , was a British Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
, a Conservative Cabinet minister, was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
.
Political career
Listowel served as a Lieutenant in the Intelligence Corps. He entered the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on the death of his father in November 1931 and made his maiden speech in March of the following year. He was a Labour Party whip in House of Lords from 1941 to 1944 and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma from 1944 to 1945.
When Labour came to power in 1945 under Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, Listowel was appointed Postmaster-General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
, a post he held until April 1947, and was briefly Minister of Information between February and March 1946, when the office was abolished. In April 1947 he entered the cabinet as Secretary of State for India and Burma
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
. The office was renamed Secretary of State for Burma after India gained independence in August 1947, and was finally abolished in January 1948 when Burma also gained independence. He continued to serve under Attlee as Minister of State for Colonial Affairs from 1948 to 1950 and as Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1950 to 1951, although he was not a member of the cabinet after January 1948. In 1957 he was appointed Governor-General of Ghana, a post he held until 1960, when Ghana became a Republic. He was later Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords between 1965 and 1976. He remained an active member of the House of Lords, speaking for the last time in July 1995, aged 88.
Apart from his career in national politics Lord Listowel was a member of London County Council
London 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 East Lewisham between 1937 and 1946,and for Battersea North between 1952 and 1957. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1946 and a GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1957.
Family
Lord Listowel was thrice married. He married firstly JudithJudith Hare, Countess of Listowel
Judith, Countess of Listowel was a noted British-Hungarian journalist and author who married William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel in 1933....
, daughter of Raoul de Marffy-Mantuana, in 1933. They had one daughter but were divorced in 1945. He married secondly Stephanie Sandra Yvonne, daughter of Sam Wise, in 1958. They had one daughter but were divorced in 1963. He married thirdly Pamela Mollie (née Day) in 1963. They had two sons and one daughter. Lord Listowel died in March 1997, aged 90, and was succeeded by his eldest son from his third marriage, Francis
Francis Hare, 6th Earl of Listowel
Francis Michael Hare, 6th Earl of Listowel , is a British peer. He is one of the ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999...
.