George Whiteley, 1st Baron Marchamley

George Whiteley, 1st Baron Marchamley PC (30 August 1855 – 21 October 1925) was a British Conservative turned Liberal Party politician. He served as Chief Whip between 1905 and 1908 in the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith.

The Right Honourable The Lord Marchamley PC
George Whiteley MP, circa 1906
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 12 December 1905 – 3 June 1908
Monarch	Edward VII
Prime Minister	Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, Bt
Succeeded by	Jack Pease
Personal details
Born	30 August 1855 (1855-08-30)
Died	21 October 1925 (1925-10-22) (aged 70) London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative to 1900 Liberal 1900-1925(death)
Spouse(s)	Alice Tattersall (d. 1913)

Background

Whiteley was the eldest son of George Whiteley, JP, of Woodlands, Blackburn, Lancashire.[1] His brother, Herbert, also became a Member of Parliament.

He was partner in a cotton-spinning firm and had major brewing interests.[2]

Political career

As a Conservative,[2] Whiteley was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stockport from 1893 to 1900.[1][3] He then joined the Liberal Party, in whose interest he was elected M.P. in 1900 for Pudsey, serving until 1908.[1][2][4] He became Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) when the Liberals came to power in December 1905,[1] and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1907.[5] On 1 June 1908, he resigned from Parliament by accepting appointment as Steward of the Manor of Northstead.[6] It was thought that his retirement was due entirely to insomnia, from which he had suffered for a long period.[7] On 3 July 1908 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Marchamley, of Hawkstone in the County of Shropshire.[8][9] He contributed occasionally in the House of Lords, making his last speech in November 1919.[10] The Complete Peerage summarised up his oratory as: "A ready speaker, with a somewhat caustic humour, he was on the platform an effective asset to the Liberal Party".[2]

He was made a JP for the counties of Hampshire in 1900, and Shropshire in 1908.[11]

Family

Lord Marchamley married Alice, only child of William Tattersall, JP, of Quarry Bank, Blackburn, and St Anthony's Milnthorpe, in 1881. In 1907, he purchased, from the 4th Viscount Hill, Hawkstone Hall and its estates in Shropshire, later selling them in 1923.[12] His own title was taken from the village of Marchamley, near Hawkstone Hall, and after Hawkstone itself.

Lady Marchamley died in 1913. Marchamley survived her by twelve years and died at his home, 29 Princes Gardens, London,[2] after an operation[13] in October 1925, aged 70. He was buried in the churchyard of St Luke's, Weston-under-Redcastle, Shropshire. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, William.[1]

References

1. Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
2. The Complete Peerage, Volume XIII. St Catherine's Press, London. 1940. p. 92.
3. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Stamford and Spalding to Stroud and Thornbury". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
4. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Plymouth to Putney". Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
5. "No. 28092". The London Gazette. 24 December 1907. p. 8966.
6. "Parliament - House Of Commons - New Writ", The Times, p. 6 col. 1, 4 June 1908
7. "The Representation of the Pudsey Division", The Times, p. 11 col. 1, 19 May 1908
8. "No. 28156". The London Gazette. 7 July 1908. p. 4938.
9. "The New Peers", The Times, p. 15 col. 4, 8 July 1908
10. hansard.millbanksystems.com Mr George Whiteley
11. Kelly's Handbook of the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1925. Kelly's. p. 1089.
12. The Complete Peerage, Volume VI. 1926. p. 522.
13. "Death of Lord Marchamley". Shrewsbury Chronicle. 23 October 1925. p. 10.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Whiteley

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Louis John Jennings Sir Joseph Leigh	Member of Parliament for Stockport 1893–1900 With: Sir Joseph Leigh 1893–1895 Beresford Valentine Melville 1895–1900	Succeeded by Beresford Valentine Melville Sir Joseph Leigh
Preceded by Briggs Priestley	Member of Parliament for Pudsey 1900–1908	Succeeded by John James Oddy
Political offices
Preceded by Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, Bt	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1905–1908	Succeeded by Jack Pease
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baron Marchamley 1908–1925	Succeeded by William Whiteley