Michael Hicks Beach
Encyclopedia
Michael Edward Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn PC, PC (Ire)
(23 October 1837 – 30 April 1916), known as Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt, from 1854 to 1906 and subsequently as The Viscount St Aldwyn to 1915, was a British Conservative
politician. Known as "Black Michael", he notably served as Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 1885 to 1886 and again from 1895 to 1902 and also led the Conservative Party in the House of Commons
from 1885 to 1886.
, Hicks Beach was the son of Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 8th Baronet
, of Beverston
, and his wife Harriett Vittoria, second daughter of John Stratton. He was educated at Eton College
and Christ Church, Oxford
, where he graduated with a first class degree in the School of Law and Modern History. In 1854 he succeeded his father as ninth Baronet.
as a Conservative
for East Gloucestershire. During 1868 he acted both as Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board and as Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs. In 1874 he was made Chief Secretary for Ireland
, and was included in the Cabinet in 1877. From 1878 to 1880 he was Secretary of State for the Colonies
. In 1885 he was elected for Bristol West, and became Chancellor of the Exchequer
and Leader of the House of Commons
. After Gladstone
's brief Home Rule Ministry in 1886 Hicks Beach entered Lord Salisbury
's next Cabinet again as Irish Secretary, making way for Lord Randolph Churchill
as Leader of the House; but troubles with his eyesight compelled him to resign in 1887.
, he again became Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1899 he lowered the fixed charge for the National Debt from twenty-five to twenty-three million, a reduction imperatively required, apart from other reasons, by the difficulties found in redeeming Consols
at their then inflated price. When compelled to find means for financing the war in South Africa
, he insisted on combining the raising of loans with the imposition of fresh taxation; and besides raising the income-tax each year, he introduced taxes on sugar and exported coal (1901), and in 1902 reimposed the registration duty on corn and flour which had been abolished in 1869 by Lowe
. The sale of his Netheravon
estates in Wiltshire
to the War Office
in 1898 occasioned some acrid criticism concerning the valuation, for which, however, Sir Michael himself was not responsible. On Lord Salisbury's retirement in 1902 Hicks Beach also left the government.
did much to prevent the Unionist free-traders from precipitating a rupture. In 1906 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount St Aldwyn, of Coln St Aldwyn, in the County of Gloucester, and in 1915 he was further created Viscount Quenington, of Quenington
, in the County of Gloucester, and Earl St Aldwyn, of Coln St Aldwyn, in the County of Gloucester.
, in 1874. They had one son, Viscount Quenington
, also a politician, and three daughters. Lord St Aldwyn died in April 1916, aged 78, only a week after his son was killed in action in the First World War, and was succeeded in his titles by his grandson Michael
, who also became a Conservative politician. The Countess St Aldwyn died in March 1940. The coastal town of Beachport in the Australian state of South Australia
was named after Lord St Aldwyn in 1878.
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
(23 October 1837 – 30 April 1916), known as Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt, from 1854 to 1906 and subsequently as The Viscount St Aldwyn to 1915, was a British Conservative
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...
politician. Known as "Black Michael", he notably served as Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1885 to 1886 and again from 1895 to 1902 and also led the Conservative Party in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
from 1885 to 1886.
Background and education
Born at Portugal Street 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...
, Hicks Beach was the son of Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 8th Baronet
Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 8th Baronet
Sir Michael Hicks Hicks-Beach, 8th Baronet was a British MP and High Sheriff.He was appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1840 and then returned as Member of Parliament for East Gloucestershire from January 1854 until his death in November of the same year.Hicks-Beach married Harriett...
, of Beverston
Beverston Castle
Beverston Castle, also known as Beverstone Castle, was originally constructed as a medieval stone fortress and is situated in the village of Beverston, Gloucestershire, England. The castle was founded in 1229 by Maurice de Gaunt...
, and his wife Harriett Vittoria, second daughter of John Stratton. 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"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, where he graduated with a first class degree in the School of Law and Modern History. In 1854 he succeeded his father as ninth Baronet.
Political career, 1864-1888
In 1864 he was returned to ParliamentBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as a Conservative
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...
for East Gloucestershire. During 1868 he acted both as Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board and as Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs. In 1874 he was made Chief Secretary for Ireland
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
, and was included in the Cabinet in 1877. From 1878 to 1880 he was 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 1885 he was elected for Bristol West, and became Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
and Leader of the House of Commons
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
. After Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's brief Home Rule Ministry in 1886 Hicks Beach entered Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
's next Cabinet again as Irish Secretary, making way for Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
as Leader of the House; but troubles with his eyesight compelled him to resign in 1887.
Political career, 1888-1902
From 1888 to 1892 Hicks Beach returned to active work as President of the Board of Trade, and in 1895, Goschen being transferred to the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, he again became Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1899 he lowered the fixed charge for the National Debt from twenty-five to twenty-three million, a reduction imperatively required, apart from other reasons, by the difficulties found in redeeming Consols
Consols
Consol is a form of British government bond , dating originally from the 18th century. The first consols were originally issued in 1751...
at their then inflated price. When compelled to find means for financing the war in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, he insisted on combining the raising of loans with the imposition of fresh taxation; and besides raising the income-tax each year, he introduced taxes on sugar and exported coal (1901), and in 1902 reimposed the registration duty on corn and flour which had been abolished in 1869 by Lowe
Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke
Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke PC , British and Australian statesman, was a pivotal but often forgotten figure who shaped British politics in the latter half of the 19th century. He held office under William Ewart Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1868 and 1873 and as Home...
. The sale of his Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
estates in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
to the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1898 occasioned some acrid criticism concerning the valuation, for which, however, Sir Michael himself was not responsible. On Lord Salisbury's retirement in 1902 Hicks Beach also left the government.
Other public appointments
He accepted the chairmanship of the Royal Commission on Ritualistic Practices in the Church, and he did valuable work as an arbitrator; and though when the fiscal controversy arose he became the first president of the Unionist Free Food League, his parliamentary loyalty to BalfourArthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
did much to prevent the Unionist free-traders from precipitating a rupture. In 1906 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount St Aldwyn, of Coln St Aldwyn, in the County of Gloucester, and in 1915 he was further created Viscount Quenington, of Quenington
Quenington
Quenington is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about eight miles east of Cirencester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 566.Dom Joly is a resident of Quenington....
, in the County of Gloucester, and Earl St Aldwyn, of Coln St Aldwyn, in the County of Gloucester.
Family
Lord St Aldwyn married Lady Lucy Catherine, daughter of Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Earl FortescueHugh Fortescue, 3rd Earl Fortescue
Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Earl Fortescue , known as Viscount Ebrington from 1841 to 1861, was a British peer and occasional politician.He entered the House of Commons in 1841 as a member for Plymouth...
, in 1874. They had one son, Viscount Quenington
Michael Hicks Beach, Viscount Quenington
thumb|Michael Hugh Hicks Beach, Viscount Quenington , was a British politician.Hicks Beach was the eldest son of the former Chancellor, Michael Hicks-Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn, and his wife Lucy Catherine...
, also a politician, and three daughters. Lord St Aldwyn died in April 1916, aged 78, only a week after his son was killed in action in the First World War, and was succeeded in his titles by his grandson Michael
Michael Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St Aldwyn
Michael John Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St Aldwyn PC, GBE TD was a British Conservative politician.St Aldwyn was the only son of Michael Hicks Beach, Viscount Quenington, who was killed in action in 1916, and the grandson of Michael Hicks Beach, 1st Earl St Aldwyn. His mother was Marjorie, who also...
, who also became a Conservative politician. The Countess St Aldwyn died in March 1940. The coastal town of Beachport in the Australian state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
was named after Lord St Aldwyn in 1878.