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The Real Lloyd George J For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 51 / Summer 2006 / £5.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y The Real Lloyd George J. Graham Jones The Real Lloyd George As his secretary saw him David Dutton Sir Frank Medlicott (1903 – 72) Biography of the Liberal / Liberal National MP Peter Harris A meeting place for Liberals The National Liberal Club Lawrence Iles Organiser par excellence Biography of Herbert Gladstone (1854 – 1930) Kenneth O. Morgan 1906: ‘Blissful dawn’? A hundred years on Liberal Democrat History Group The National Liberal Club is pleased to invite readers of the Journal of Liberal History to consider the benefits of membership of the Club. Founded in 1882, the National Liberal Club still occupies the same purpose-built Whitehall riverside clubhouse and continues to be associated with the Liberal cause, offering Liberals and their friends a wide range of club facilities. Our picture shows the announcement, from the Club’s terrace, of constituency results in the 1906 Liberal landslide election. The Club promotes a wide range of cultural and social activities. Our members, men and women from all walks of life, enjoy bar and dining room facilities, a large and elegant reading and writing room, a splendid terrace, business facilities, a billiards room and a suite of function rooms. Members benefit from reciprocal arrangements with carefully chosen clubs elsewhere in the United Kingdom and around the world, and from substantial discounts on bedroom rates at the adjoining Royal Horseguards Hotel and The Farmers Club. In our experience, the Club markets itself to those who visit it! For more details of our facilities and reasonable subscription rates (including a sliding scale and no entrance fee for those aged 17 – 29), or to arrange a tour of the Club, entirely without obligation, please contact the Club by post, telephone or e-mail, as follows: The Membership Secretary National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE Tel: 020 7930 9871 Fax: 020 7839 4768 www.nlc.org.uk [email protected] 2 Journal of Liberal History 51 Summer 2006 Journal of Liberal History Issue 51: Summer 2006 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 The Real Lloyd George 4 Editor: Duncan Brack J. Graham Jones discusses A. J. Sylvester’s classic semi-biographical work, Deputy Editor: Sarah Taft and assesses its impact and reactions to its contents and influence. Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini Gladstone’s library under threat 12 Deputy Reviews Editor: Tom Kiehl The Gladstone Project aims to safeguard Gladstone’s library at St Deiniol’s; by York Membery. Patrons Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; Sir Frank Medlicott (1903 – 72) 14 Professor John Vincent David Dutton analyses the life and political career of a Liberal and Liberal National MP and activist. Editorial Board Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr Barry Doyle; A meeting place for Liberals 18 Dr David Dutton; Professor David Gowland; Dr Richard Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Ian Hunter; History of the National Liberal Club; by Peter Harris. Dr J. Graham Jones; Tony Little; Professor Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Jaime Organiser par excellence 24 Reynolds; Iain Sharpe Lawrence Iles examines the career of William Gladstone’s youngest son, Herbert Gladstone (1854 – 1930). Editorial/Correspondence Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed Letters to the Editor 31 publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Election 2006 (Antony Wood). Contributions should be sent to: Duncan Brack (Editor) 1906: ‘Blissful dawn’? 32 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ Lord Kenneth Morgan: lecture to the Corporation of London, February 2006. email: [email protected] All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. Reviews 38 Hunter (ed.): Winston and Archie: The Letters of Sir Archibald Sinclair and Advertisements Winston S. Churchill, reviewed by Richard Toye; Barber: Political Strategy: Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Modern Politics in Contemporary Britain, reviewed by Richard Holme; Cook: Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources Since 1945, (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please reviewed by J. Graham Jones; Russell and Fieldhouse: Neither Left Nor contact the Editor. Right? The Liberal Democrats and the Electorate, reviewed by Duncan Brack. Subscriptions/Membership An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal Archives 44 History costs £20.00 (£12.50 unwaged rate). This Sources in the Manuscript Division of the National Library of Scotland; by includes membership of the History Group unless you Alan R. Bell. inform us otherwise. The institutional rate is £30.00. Overseas (non-UK) subscribers should add £5.00; or, a special three-year rate is available for £70.00. Online subscriptions cost £40.00. In addition to printed copies, online subscribers will be able to access online copies of current and past Journals. Overseas online subscriptions are available for £45.00 per year, or £115 for three years. Cheques (payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) should be sent to: Patrick Mitchell 6 Palfrey Place, London SW8 1PA; email: [email protected] Liberal Democrat History Group The Liberal Democrat History Group promotes the discussion and research of historical Cover design concept: Lynne Featherstone topics relating to the histories of the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Party, and SDP, and of Published by the Liberal Democrat History Group, c/o Liberalism. The Group organises discussion meetings and produces the Journal and other 38 Salford Road, London SW2 4BQ occasional publications. Printed by Kall-Kwik, For more information, including details of publications, back issues of the Journal, tape 426 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5TF records of meetings and archive and other research sources, see our website at: www.liberalhistory.org.uk. June 2006 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 51 Summer 2006 3 THE REAL LLOYD GEOrgE In 1947, Lloyd George’s former private secretary, A. J. Sylvester, published The Real Lloyd George, an insider’s look at Lloyd George as he really was. Although much of the contents of the book were pedestrian, it still remains an important addition to the huge Lloyd George bibliography, if only because of its author’s closeness to his subject from 1923 until his death twenty-two years later, and his habit of keeping a full diary of the events which he observed at first hand. Dr J. Graham Jones discusses the classic A. J. Sylvester and lbert James Sylvester age and secured employment as a Lloyd George. semi-biographical (1889–1989) experi- clerk at Charrington’s brewery. enced a quite unique During these years he attended work, and assesses its life and career.1 Born evening classes in shorthand and impact and reactions at Harlaston, Stafford- typing, gained professional quali- Ashire, the son of a tenant farmer of fications in these subjects and to its contents and very modest means, he was com- attained champion speeds in both pelled by family poverty to leave skills. He then migrated to Lon- influence. school at just fourteen years of don in 1910, eventually setting 4 Journal of Liberal History 51 Summer 2006 THE REAL LLOYD GEOrgE up his own business as a freelance of Caernarfon Boroughs. He also on indispensable, begged him to shorthand writer at Chancery made the practical arrangements remain in post. This was espe- Lane, before, early in the First for Lloyd George’s numerous cially true during the autumn World War, securing a position as trips overseas, and, increasingly of 1944 after Lloyd George and a stenographer (shorthand writer) as the 1930s ran their course, he Frances had returned to live in in the office of M. P. A. Hankey was regularly in attendance at their new North Wales home, (later Lord Hankey), who was at Westminster, acting as his employ- Ty Newydd, Llanystumdwy. Syl- the time Secretary to the Com- er’s ‘eyes and ears’ in the House vester soon began to resent stay- mittee of Imperial Defence and of Commons. Sylvester was also ing on indefinitely in this remote thus at the heart of the Allied war much involved in the research and area and threatened to return to campaign. This auspicious move preparation of the mammoth War the south-east, feeling that he was to launch Sylvester on his Memoirs which occupied so much had been badly treated by his professional career. He became of Lloyd George’s time during the employers – who implored him the first man ever to take short- long 1930s. He undertook some to remain in their service: hand notes of the proceedings of of the research himself, arranged a cabinet meeting – a truly pio- for the classification of the mas- Frances assured me that things neering task. sive archive of official and private would be all right for me later. In 1916 he became Hankey’s papers which Lloyd George had (All she did was to double cross private secretary, and in 1921 took accumulated, and conducted often me, and she did NOTHING.) up a similar position in the employ lengthy interviews with many In this controversy LG himself of David Lloyd George, then former ministers of the crown. said not a word to me: neither I Prime Minister of the post-war Sylvester was also heavily impli- to him. The whole attitude and coalition government. Although cated in his employer’s complex, atmosphere was: He must not be he initially remained at 10 Down- bizarre personal and family life, bothered about things like this’2 ing Street when his employer fell becoming closely involved with from power in the autumn of almost all members of the sprawl- Lloyd George died at Ty Newydd 1922, a year later Sylvester gladly ing Lloyd George family, spanning on 26 March 1945.
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