Sir George Masterman Gillett (1870 – 10 August 1939) was a

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banker and politician. Born in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

, he was the son of George Gillett, a banker and member of a well-known

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family. He was educated at a Society of Friends boarding school in

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and in Paris. In 1894 he became a partner the family business of Gillett Brothers, discount bankers of Lombard Street in the

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. Gillett was very active in charitable and social work in London, and in 1898 founded the Peel Institute, to "advance the mental, physical, religious, moral and social education of persons and the promotion of facilities for the recreation or other leisure time occupation of those who by reason of age, youth, infirmity, disablement, poverty or social and economic circumstances are in need of such facilities, with the object of improving their conditions of life". When the

Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a Metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington. Formation and boundaries ...

was created in 1900, Gillett was elected to the first borough council, serving for six years. He was subsequently elected to the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

in 1910, representing East Finsbury as a member of the majority

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until 1922, and as an

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from 1922 to 1925. At the 1922 general election Gillett was nominated as the Labour Party's candidate to contest the

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn ...

constituency. Although unsuccessful on this occasion, in the following year another general election was held and he became Finsbury's member of parliament. He held the seat at the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

1929 general elections. With the formation of the

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in 1929 he received the post of

Secretary for Overseas Trade The Secretary for Overseas Trade was a junior Ministerial position in the United Kingdom government from 1917 until 1953, subordinate to the President of the Board of Trade. The office was replaced by the Minister of State for Trade on 3 Septembe ...

in the

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. When a National Government was formed in 1931, Gillett was one of the minority of Labour MPs who continued to support the premiership of

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first who belonged to the Labour Party, leading minority Labour governments for nine months in 1924 ...

, forming what became the

National Labour Organisation The National Labour Organisation, also known as the National Labour Committee or simply as National Labour, was a British political group formed after the 1931 creation of the National Government to co-ordinate the efforts of the supporters of ...

. He held the seat for the National Government in the election of 1931, and was appointed

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport was a junior position at the British Ministry of Transport. The office was renamed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport in 1941, but resumed its former name at the end of the S ...

. In the

1931 Dissolution Honours The 1931 Dissolution Honours List was issued on 17 November 1931 at the advice of the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. Viscountcy * The Right Honourable Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1924 and 1929–1931. Baronies * Sir Robert ...

he was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

. He was defeated by his Labour Party opponent, the Reverend George Saville Woods at the 1935 general election. In 1936 he was appointed as Commissioner for the Special Areas in England and Wales. The "special areas" were localities of very high unemployment, and the commissioners were empowered to make grants to local authorities for works such as water supply and sewage works, hospitals and social amenities. Gillett retired from the post in May 1939 due to ill health. He died in August of the same year at his home in

Letchworth Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249. Letchworth ...

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References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillett, George Masterman 1870 births 1939 deaths UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of London County Council Members of Finsbury Metropolitan Borough Council Progressive Party (London) politicians Knights Bachelor Politicians awarded knighthoods