George Henry Hall
Encyclopedia
George Henry Hall, 1st Viscount Hall PC (31 December 1881 – 8 November 1965) was a British
Labour
politician. He served Secretary of State for the Colonies
between 1945 and 1946 and as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1946 and 1951.
, Glamorganshire, Hall started work at the Penrikyber colliery at 12 years of age. He continued to work as a collier until appointed checkweigher in 1911, and then to act as checkweigher Local Agent at the South Wales Miners' Federation
until elected to Parliament in 1922.
(MP) for Aberdare
from 1922 to 1946 and served under Ramsay MacDonald
as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty from 1929 to 1931, under Winston Churchill
as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
from 1940 to 1942, as Financial Secretary to the Admiralty from 1942 to 1943 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1943 to 1945 and under Clement Attlee
as Secretary of State for the Colonies
from 1945-1946. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1942 and on retirement from the House of Commons in 1946 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Hall, of Cynon Valley in the County of Glamorgan, He then served as First Lord of the Admiralty under Attlee from 1946 to 24 1951 and as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
from 1947 to 1951.
in November 1965, aged 83, and was succeeded by his son, William.
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...
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 served 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....
between 1945 and 1946 and as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1946 and 1951.
Background
Born in PenrhiwceiberPenrhiwceiber
Penrhiwceiber is a former Welsh coal mining village and community deep in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. Penrhiwceiber is situated in the Cynon Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, it lies 1 mile south of the town of Mountain Ash...
, Glamorganshire, Hall started work at the Penrikyber colliery at 12 years of age. He continued to work as a collier until appointed checkweigher in 1911, and then to act as checkweigher Local Agent at the South Wales Miners' Federation
South Wales Miners' Federation
The South Wales Miners' Federation , nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for miners in South Wales.The union was founded on 24 October 1898, following the defeat of the South Wales miners' strike of 1898...
until elected to Parliament in 1922.
Political career
Hall was 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 Aberdare
Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdare was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1918 general election and returned one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
from 1922 to 1946 and served under Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty from 1929 to 1931, under Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State....
from 1940 to 1942, as Financial Secretary to the Admiralty from 1942 to 1943 and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1943 to 1945 and 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...
as 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....
from 1945-1946. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1942 and on retirement from the House of Commons in 1946 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Hall, of Cynon Valley in the County of Glamorgan, He then served as First Lord of the Admiralty under Attlee from 1946 to 24 1951 and as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
from 1947 to 1951.
Personal life
Lord Hall died in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
in November 1965, aged 83, and was succeeded by his son, William.