William Adamson

William Adamson (2 April 1863 – 23 February 1936) was a Scottish trade unionist and Labour politician. He was Leader of the Labour Party from 1917 to 1921 and served as Secretary of State for Scotland in 1924 and during 1929–1931 in the first two Labour ministries headed by Ramsay MacDonald.

The Right Honourable William Adamson
Adamson in 1911
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 24 October 1917 – 14 February 1921
Chief Whip	George Henry Roberts William Tyson Wilson Arthur Henderson
Preceded by	Arthur Henderson
Succeeded by	J. R. Clynes
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 7 June 1929 – 24 August 1931
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	Sir John Gilmour
Succeeded by	Archibald Sinclair
In office 22 January 1924 – 3 November 1924
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Preceded by	Ronald Munro Ferguson
Succeeded by	Sir John Gilmour
Member of Parliament for West Fife
In office 19 December 1910 – 8 October 1931
Preceded by	Sir John Gilmour
Succeeded by	Sir Archibald Sinclair
Personal details
Born	2 April 1863 Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Died	23 February 1936 (aged 72)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour

Background

Adamson was born in Dunfermline, Fife, and was educated at a local dame school. He worked as a miner in Fife where he became involved with the National Union of Mineworkers. In 1902–08 he was Assistant Secretary of the Fife and Kinross Miners' Association,[1] and he thereafter served as its General Secretary.[2]

Political career

Adamson in 1920

Active with the new Labour Party, Adamson was first elected to Parliament for West Fife in the December 1910 general election[3][4] and became leader of the party in 1917, which he was until 1921.[1] In 1918 he was sworn of the Privy Council.[5] In 1919, Adamson was confident that the experience of the First World War would "produce a different atmosphere and an entirely different relationship amongst all sections of our people" and would act as a watershed in the process of social reform.[6] He served as Secretary for Scotland and Secretary of State for Scotland in 1924[1][7] and between 1929 and 1931[1][8] in the Labour governments of Ramsay MacDonald.

However, he split with MacDonald after the formation of the National Government. Adamson lost his seat in the 1931 election which he contested for Labour against MacDonald's coalition.[1] He stood again in the 1935 election but again failed to take the seat, losing on this occasion to William Gallacher of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

Personal life

The grave of William Adamson MP, Dunfermline Cemetery

Adamson was married to Christina Myles Marshall (1862–1935). He died in February 1936, aged 72. He is buried in Dunfermline Cemetery, just north of the roundel at the end of the entrance avenue.

References

1. Spartacus-educational.com William Adamson Archived 14 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Adamson, William [Willie]", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
3. leighrayment.com House of Commons: Fairfield to Fylde South
4. "No. 28449". The London Gazette. 23 December 1910. p. 9558.
5. "No. 30764". The London Gazette. 25 June 1918. p. 7461.
6. Philip Abrams Past & Present, The Failure of Social Reform, 1918–1920’ (1963), p.49
7. "No. 32901". The London Gazette. 25 January 1924. p. 770.
8. "No. 33505". The London Gazette. 11 June 1929. p. 3856.

• Torrance, David, The Scottish Secretaries (Birlinn 2006)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Adamson