Rise of Neville Chamberlain

Neville Chamberlain was born in 1869 in Birmingham, England. His father was the politician and future Cabinet minister, Joseph Chamberlain. He had a daughter, Beatrice, and a son, Austen, with his second wife, Florence Kenrick, who died in childbirth in 1875, when Neville was six years old. Neville Chamberlain had three daughters with Beatrice and her stepchildren.

About Rise of Neville Chamberlain in brief

Neville Chamberlain was born in 1869 in Birmingham, England. His father was the politician and future Cabinet minister, Joseph Chamberlain. He was educated at Rugby School and Mason College. After a period in a firm of chartered accountants, the younger Chamberlain spent six years in the Bahamas managing a sisal plantation in a failed attempt to recoup the family fortunes. After returning to England in 1897, Chamberlain became a successful businessman in his home city of Birmingham. He became Lord Mayor of Birmingham in 1915. In 1918, Chamberlain was elected to the House of Commons, at age 49 the oldest man to enter Parliament and later become Prime Minister. When Stanley Baldwin retired in 1937, Chamberlain succeeded him. Chamberlain took a hands-on approach to politics, exploring all aspects of the country’s affairs. He died of a heart attack at the age of 75. He is buried at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, along with his wife and three children. His funeral was held on 28 May 1937, at a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Chamberlain’s funeral took place at St Andrew’s Church, Birmingham, on 29 May 1937. The funeral was attended by many of his family and friends, including his father, his brother, and his sister Beatrice. Chamberlain died of lung cancer at St Vincent’s Hospital, London, on 30 May 1941, aged 83. He had a daughter, Beatrice, and a son, Austen, with his second wife, Florence Kenrick, who died in childbirth in 1875, when Neville was six years old.

Joseph Chamberlain had fathered two children by his first wife, Harriet, died giving birth to Austen; Neville’s mother, the former Florence Kenick, also died in pregnancy in 1874. Neville Chamberlain had three daughters with Beatrice and her stepchildren. In 1891, the 22-year-old took out a lease on 26,000 acres on the island of Andros. In November 1897, he purchased Hoskins & Company, a manufacturer of metal berths, which was located within a mile of Highbury, a large part of which was shut up to save on expenses. He spent most of the next six years on Andros, and the soil proved to be unsuitable for growing sisal. He returned to Britain in early 1897, and lived in his father’s house, Highbury. He later served as managing director of Hoskins for 17 years, during which time they were serving the Lord Salisbury Government. In 1913, he was made a director of Elliot’s Metal Company. In 1915, he became Lord mayor of Birmingham, and in 1916 he was asked to become Director of National Service. In 1916, he briefly became Chancellor of the Exchequer after less than a year as a minister. Chamberlain subsequently spent five years as Minister of Health, securing the passage of many reforming acts. He then became part of Ramsay MacDonald’s National Government, and spent five and a half years as Chancellor, directing Britain’s financial policies.

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