Early life
Born in London, Hogg was the son of the merchant and philanthropist Quintin Hogg and of Alice Anna Hogg, ''née'' Graham (d. 1918). Both of his grandfathers,Legal career
Returning from South Africa, he wasPolitical background
Hogg began to be involved in Conservative politics while still at the bar. He was involved in the Conservatives' legal attacks against the Liberals during theAttorney-General: 1922–1924
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Baldwin's second government: 1924–1929
Attorney-General again
Later in October 1924, Hogg was reappointed Attorney-General, this time with a seat in the Cabinet, when the Conservatives were returned to power. Although Hogg played a full part in cabinet debates, his main responsibility was to advise the government on legal matters, and other ministers seem to have regarded him mainly as a lawyer–politician. He was the minister responsible for the arrest and prosecution ofFirst term as Lord Chancellor
Opposition: 1929–1931
Between 1929 and 1931, Hailsham was Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords. He did not give strong support to Baldwin when the latter's leadership was attacked, and apparently did nothing to quash speculation that he might become leader himself. The former party whip Lord Bayford thought in March 1931 that 'the only possible suggestion made at present is that Hailsham should lead the party and Neville hamberlainbe leader in the Commons' (''Real Old Tory Politics'', p245). As a former Lord Chancellor Hailsham continued to sit as a Law Lord. Sir John Simon identified a number of significant cases in the Lords in which his judgments 'illustrated his power of lucid reasoning and his command of appropriate language': ''Addie ''v.'' Dumbreck'' (injury to child trespasser, 1929); ''Tolley ''v.'' Fry'' (defamation, 1931); ''Swadling ''v.'' Cooper'' (contributory negligence, 1931). Hailsham became president of Sussex County cricket club in 1931.Secretary of State for War: 1931–1935
Hailsham was not offered a seat in the small emergency Cabinet of the National Government of August–October 1931, a fact which John Ramsden attributes to his disloyalty to Baldwin in opposition. Hailsham's previous job was not available, as the Labour Lord Chancellor Lord Sankey had joined the National Government; Hailsham was therefore offered, and refused, theSecond term as Lord Chancellor: 1935–1938
On 7 June 1935, to his apparent pleasure, Hailsham returned to the Lord Chancellorship under Stanley Baldwin, now Prime Minister for the third time. In December 1935 Hailsham had to preside over the last trial of a peer ‘by his peers’, when he was appointed Lord High Steward to conduct the trial of the 26th Baron de Clifford in the House of Lords for manslaughter. He ruled that there was no case for Lord de Clifford to answer, but also suggested that this mediaeval privilege was obsolete; the procedure was abolished in theLater life
On 14 October 1940, Hailsham was having dinner at the Carlton Club with his son Quintin, who was about to depart for active service as an army officer in North Africa. The club was hit by a bomb, and observers, including the diarist Harold Nicolson, likened the sight of Quintin carrying his disabled father from the building toAssessments
John Ramsden suggests that rapid success, coming to a man who entered politics at the late age of fifty, made him "overplay his hand" in the events of 1929–31, even though as a peer by then he could not reasonably hope to be Prime Minister. William Bridgeman recorded in his diary that Hogg's success had not impaired "his great ability in debate, though it did I think interfere with his political judgement … He never suffered a reverse until the defeat of the party in 1929, an experience which would have been beneficial if he had had it." The diarist Chips Channon thought that Hailsham looked likeFamily
On 14 August 1905, Hogg married Elizabeth Marjoribanks, daughter of James Trimble Brown, an American judge from Tennessee. She was the widow of his cousin, the Hon. Archibald Marjoribanks (son of Dudley Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth). Hogg acquired two stepchildren from Elizabeth's previous marriage. One of these was Edward Marjoribanks (born 1900), who became a Conservative MP in 1929 but committed suicide in 1932. Hogg and his wife had two sons: * Quintin McGarel Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham, later Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (born 9 October 1907, died 12 October 2001), barrister and politician, who disclaimed the viscountcy, but was later given a life peerage and himself became Lord Chancellor. * Hon William Neil McGarel Hogg (born 1910, died 13 February 1995), diplomat. Elizabeth suffered a stroke in 1923, and died in May 1925, shortly after they had visited theReferences
Bibliography
* * (son's memoirs)External links
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