Albert Holden Illingworth, 1st Baron Illingworth, PC (25 May 1865 – 23 January 1942), was a British businessman and Liberal politician. He served as Postmaster General between 1916 and 1921 in

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

Background and education

Illingworth was the second son of Henry Illingworth, of

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, the member of an old

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

family, and his wife Mary, daughter of Sir Isaac Holden, 1st Baronet. Percy Illingworth was his younger brother. His sister, Mary Gertrude Darnton (née Illingworth, 1871-1952), married in 1894 John Edward Darnton (formerly Schunck), brother of Baroness Airedale née Florence Schunck. Illingworth was educated at the London International College and became a partner in the family firm of Daniel Illingworth and Sons, spinners, and Chairman of Isaac Holden et Fils.

Political career

In a 1915 by-election Illingworth was returned to Parliament for Heywood, a seat he held until the constituency was abolished in 1918, and then sat for Heywood and Radcliffe until 1921. He served under David Lloyd George as Postmaster General from 1916 to 1921 and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1916. In 1921 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Illingworth, of Denton in the West Riding of the County of York. The

territorial designation In the United Kingdom, a territorial designation follows modern Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage titles, linking them to a specific place or places. It is also an integral part of all baronetcies. Within Scotland, a territorial designation ...

derived from Denton Hall which he had purchased in 1920. However, the estate was sold already in 1925. Following his elevation to the peerage, the Heywood and Radcliffe constituency was won in the subsequent by-election by the Labour candidate

Walter Halls Walter Halls (16 June 1871 – 20 October 1953) was a British trade unionist and politician. Born in Gaulby in Leicestershire, Halls was educated locally before finding work on the railways. He became an active trade unionist, and was electe ...

, a farm labourer employed by Illingworth.

Family

Lord Illingworth married firstly Annie Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Holden Crothers, in 1895. They had no children and were divorced in 1926. He married secondly Margaret Mary Clare, daughter of William Basil Wilberforce, in 1931. This marriage was also childless. From 1928 to his death, Illingworth leased a town house at 39/44

Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square ( ) is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of Westminster, Greater London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was deve ...

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

. His widow remained at Grosvenor Square until 1966. Illingworth died in January 1942, aged 76, when the barony became extinct. His second wife died in 1986, having become before her death the victim of a massive defrauding of her estate by her niece who had been investigated over the

murder of Simon Dale Simon Dale (17 June 1919 – September 1987) was an English retired architect whose murder in September 1987 remains unsolved. Described as "an eccentric recluse", Dale was found bludgeoned to death in his countryside mansion in Heath, Herefords ...

, the latter's ex-husband.

References

External links

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Article on Margaret, Lady Illingworth
{{DEFAULTSORT:Illingworth, Albert Illingworth, 1st Baron 1865 births 1942 deaths Albert Politicians from Bradford Businesspeople from Bradford UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs who were granted peerages Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Postmasters general of the United Kingdom Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Barons created by George V