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British History – Draft Peace Treaty Biography of David Lloyd George

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British History – Draft Peace Treaty Biography of David Lloyd George British History – Draft Peace Treaty Biography of David Lloyd George David Lloyd George was born in Manchester on January 17 1863, the son of a school headmaster. His parents were Welsh speakers. The family moved to Pembrokeshire later in 1863, and his father, William George, began farming there. The following year, his father died, and his mother, Elizabeth, moved the family back to north Wales to live. They lived with Lloyd George’s uncle, Richard Lloyd, at Highgate cottage in Llanystumdwy near Criccieth, between 1864 and 1880. His uncle Richard had a great influence on Lloyd George when he was young, and he encouraged his nephew to train as a solicitor. Lloyd George worked for a company of solicitors in Porthmadog initially, and then he established his own company in Criccieth. He had a great interest in politics from an early age, and he was elected as Member of Parliament for the Liberal party in the Caernarfon constituency in 1890. He won that first election by only 19 votes, and became the youngest MP in the House of Commons at the time. He kept hold of the seat until 1945 – 55 years later. Lloyd George married Margaret Owen, a wealthy farmer’s daughter from the area in January 1888. Lloyd George made a name for himself as a strong and steadfast Member of Parliament, and as an unparalleled debater and orator. Welsh causes were very close to his heart. In 1905, he was appointed President of the Board of Trade by the Prime Minister of the day, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, and by 1908 he had been named Chancellor of the Exchequer in the government of H.H. Asquith. During his period as Chancellor, Lloyd George introduced a number of very important changes for Britain – including a pension for the elderly in 1908 and national insurance in 1911. He tried to fight for the rights of the ordinary people of the country too, securing payments to unemployed people and support for the sick. Lloyd George remained Chancellor during the early years of the First World War, and in 1915 he was appointed Armaments Minister by Asquith. In July 1916 he was appointed Secretary of State for War, and in December of that year, he became Prime Minister, replacing Asquith. Primary History: bbc.co.uk/primaryhistory © BBC 2011 British History – Draft Peace Treaty Biography of David Lloyd George David Lloyd George is the only Welshman so far to become Prime Minister of Britain, and the only Prime Minister to have English as his second language. He was considered an excellent leader, and he is remembered most for leading Britain during the last years of the First World War, and for his part in the discussions at the Paris Peace Conference. However, it is said that he did not fully support the war initially, and he was a great pacifist as a young man. In 1922, after he had lost the support of the members of the coalition between the Liberals and the Conservatives, Lloyd George resigned as Prime Minister. He continued in Parliament, but his role was much less prominent than in previous years. He made his last major speech in the House of Commons in 1940. In 1941, Margaret, Lloyd George’s first wife, died. Two years later, at the age of 80, he married his second wife, Frances, who had worked as his secretary for many years. Lloyd George was the father of five children – Richard, Mair, Olwen, Gwilym and Megan. His daughter Mair died at the age of 17 in 1907. Gwilym Lloyd George fought for Britain in the First World War, and he and his sister Megan became famous in the political life of Britain later in the 20th century. In January 1945, less than three months before his death, Lloyd George was made Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor. He died on March 26 1945 at Tŷ Newydd, Llanystumdwy, the home he purchased in the village in 1939. He was buried on the banks of the river Dwyfor in Llanystumdwy, and his grave was designed by the architect Clough Williams Ellis. He is remembered for being a very colourful and interesting character. Today, there are striking statues of Lloyd George to be seen on Castle Square in the centre of Caernarfon and on Parliament Square in London. Primary History: bbc.co.uk/primaryhistory © BBC 2011 British History – Draft Peace Treaty Biography of David Lloyd George True or False? After reading the biography of David Lloyd George, write ‘True’ or ‘False’ next to each of the following sentences: David Lloyd George was born in Manchester True His father worked in a coal mine Lloyd George’s date of birth was January 17 1863 The family moved to Cardiff to live when he was young When he was a child Lloyd George lived with his uncle, Richard Lloyd, at Highgate cottage in Llanystumdwy Lloyd George trained to be a teacher He married Margaret Owen, a local farmer’s daughter, in 1888 Lloyd George became Member of Parliament for Caernarfonshire in 1895 He was the youngest Member of Parliament at the time By 1908 he had been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer Lloyd George became Prime Minister of Britain in 1914 Lloyd George’s first language was English Lloyd George was part of the discussions of the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 His period as Prime Minister ended in 1922 His second wife’s name was Elizabeth He was the father of five children Lloyd George was a Member of Parliament for 60 years He died on March 26 1945 Primary History: bbc.co.uk/primaryhistory © BBC 2011.
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