George Ernest Schuster
Encyclopedia
Sir George Ernest Schuster, KCSI
, KCMG
, CBE
, MC
(25 April 1881 - 5 June 1982) was a British
barrister, financier, colonial
administrator and Liberal
politician.
He was the son of Ernest Schuster, a King's Counsel
, and was educated at Charterhouse School
and New College, Oxford
. He was called to the bar
at Lincoln's Inn
in 1905. In 1908 he married Gwendolen Parker, daughter of Mr Justice Parker, later Baron Parker of Waddington
.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Schuster was working in finance in the City of London
, and was prospective Liberal parliamentary candidate for North Cumberland. He held a commission in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry
, and was mobilised to serve on the Western Front until 1918, when he joined the allied force in the Murmansk
area. He ended the war with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, having been awarded the Military Cross
and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire
. He was also decorated with the Russian Order of St. Vladimir
.
Following the war he took further training in finance at the University of Birmingham
, and became a member of the treasury advisory committee of the League of Nations
. In 1922 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the Government of Sudan
. In 1925 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
. In 1927 he ended his appointment to the government of Sudan, having been appointed as Economic and Financial Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
. In 1928 he succeeded Sir Basil Blackett
as finance minister of the Council of India
. In 1931 he was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India
. He served as finance minister until 1934, during which time he was injured by a bomb attack.
On return to the UK, Schuster resumed his career in banking. In August 1938 the sitting Liberal National
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Walsall
, Joseph Leckie
, died. The parties forming the National Government agreed on Schuster as their candidate, nominated by the Liberal Nationals and supported by the Conservatives
. Schuster was opposed by George Jeger
of the Labour Party
, and foreign policy was the main issue at the by-election
. Polling took place on 16 November, and Schuster comfortably held the seat for the government with a majority of 7,158 over Jeger. His Liberal National colleague Robert Bernays
, who opened the by-election campaign with a speech in Walsall on October 31, remarked that "[i]n three weeks of campaigning the Schusters captured the hearts of the town". He remained a member of the House of Commons until 1945, working with Stafford Cripps
on war production. At the 1945 general election
he was defeated, with Labour's Major W T Wells
taking the seat.
Following the loss of his seat, Schuster was given a number of appointments to official bodies: he was chairman of the Cotton Working Party, a member of the committee on industrial productivity, and conducted an inquiry into the finances of Malta
. In 1951 he became chairman of the Oxford Regional Hospital Board. He also led a highly successful campaign to raise corporate funding for the Public Schools Appointments Board which encouraged young people to enter a wider range of careers than previously. He subsequently chaired the organisation.
In 1962 he became honorary treasurer of the international development charity, Voluntary Service Overseas
and was involved in fund-raising for the establishment of the United World College of the Atlantic
, of which he was chairman of the board of governors until 1973.
Sir George Schuster died in June 1982, aged 101.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, KCMG
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....
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(25 April 1881 - 5 June 1982) 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...
barrister, financier, colonial
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
administrator and 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 the son of Ernest Schuster, a King's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, and was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. He was called to the bar
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1905. In 1908 he married Gwendolen Parker, daughter of Mr Justice Parker, later Baron Parker of Waddington
Robert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington
Robert John Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington in the County of Yorkshire PC was a British judge and barrister....
.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Schuster was working in finance in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, and was prospective Liberal parliamentary candidate for North Cumberland. He held a commission in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry
Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars
The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars was the designated name of a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army between 1888 and 1922. In response a call by the government for troops of volunteers to be formed in the shires, meeting of “Nobility, Gentry, Freeholders and Yeomanry” was called at the Star Inn...
, and was mobilised to serve on the Western Front until 1918, when he joined the allied force in the Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
area. He ended the war with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, having been awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. He was also decorated with the Russian Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
.
Following the war he took further training in finance at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, and became a member of the treasury advisory committee of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. In 1922 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the Government of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. In 1925 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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 1927 he ended his appointment to the government of Sudan, having been appointed as Economic and Financial Advisor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
. In 1928 he succeeded Sir Basil Blackett
Basil Blackett
Sir Basil Phillott Blackett KCB KCSI was a British Civil Servant and expert on international finance.Blackett was the eldest son of Rev. William Blackett, a missionary and educationalist in India and his wife Grace Phillott. He was born in Calcutta and educated at Marlborough College...
as finance minister of the Council of India
Council of India
The Council of India was the name given at different times to two separate bodies associated with British rule in India.The original Council of India was established by the Regulating Act of 1773 as a council of four formal advisors to the Governor-General at Fort William...
. In 1931 he was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
. He served as finance minister until 1934, during which time he was injured by a bomb attack.
On return to the UK, Schuster resumed his career in banking. In August 1938 the sitting Liberal National
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...
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 Walsall
Walsall (UK Parliament constituency)
Walsall was a borough constituency centred on the town of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. 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....
, Joseph Leckie
Joseph Leckie
Joseph Alexander Leckie was a British Liberal, later Liberal National politician and leather manufacturer.-Education and business life:...
, died. The parties forming the National Government agreed on Schuster as their candidate, nominated by the Liberal Nationals and supported by the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Schuster was opposed by George Jeger
George Jeger
George Jeger was a British Labour Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for Winchester from 1945 to 1950, and for Goole from 1950 until his death in 1971.-References:...
of the Labour Party
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...
, and foreign policy was the main issue at the by-election
Walsall by-election, 1938
The Walsall by-election, 1938 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Walsall on 16 November 1938.-Vacancy:...
. Polling took place on 16 November, and Schuster comfortably held the seat for the government with a majority of 7,158 over Jeger. His Liberal National colleague Robert Bernays
Robert Bernays
Robert Hamilton Bernays was a Liberal Party, and later Liberal National, politician in the United Kingdom who served as a Member of Parliament from 1931 to 1945....
, who opened the by-election campaign with a speech in Walsall on October 31, remarked that "[i]n three weeks of campaigning the Schusters captured the hearts of the town". He remained a member of the House of Commons until 1945, working with Stafford Cripps
Stafford Cripps
Sir Richard Stafford Cripps was a British Labour politician of the first half of the 20th century. During World War II he served in a number of positions in the wartime coalition, including Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Minister of Aircraft Production...
on war production. At the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
he was defeated, with Labour's Major W T Wells
William Thomas Wells
William Thomas Wells, better known as Bombardier Billy Wells , was an English heavyweight boxer. Fighting under the name "Bombardier Billy Wells," he was British and British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919, defending his title fourteen times...
taking the seat.
Following the loss of his seat, Schuster was given a number of appointments to official bodies: he was chairman of the Cotton Working Party, a member of the committee on industrial productivity, and conducted an inquiry into the finances of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. In 1951 he became chairman of the Oxford Regional Hospital Board. He also led a highly successful campaign to raise corporate funding for the Public Schools Appointments Board which encouraged young people to enter a wider range of careers than previously. He subsequently chaired the organisation.
In 1962 he became honorary treasurer of the international development charity, Voluntary Service Overseas
Voluntary Service Overseas
Voluntary Service Overseas is an international development charity that works through experienced volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. It is the largest independent volunteer-sending organization in the world...
and was involved in fund-raising for the establishment of the United World College of the Atlantic
Atlantic College
The United World College of the Atlantic, also known as Atlantic College, is an international IB Diploma Programme boarding school in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1962, the school was the first of the United World Colleges and was among the first schools in the world to follow an international...
, of which he was chairman of the board of governors until 1973.
Sir George Schuster died in June 1982, aged 101.