![Alfred Butt Vanity Fair 21 December 1910](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Alfred_Butt_Vanity_Fair_21_December_1910.jpg)
Sir Alfred Butt, 1st Baronet (20 March 1878 – 8 December 1962) was a British theatre impresario,
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
politician and racehorse owner and breeder. During a fourteen-year tenure as manager of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
's
Palace Theatre, beginning in 1904, Butt built a theatre empire, expanding firstly with the
Alhambra Theatre,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
in 1910, followed by the London Victoria Palace a year later, to rival that of
Edward Moss and others. He became managing director of several London West End theatres beginning in 1914, including the
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
, the
Empire Theatre, the
Gaiety Theatre and the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
, as well as theatres outside London. He continued as a theatre impresario until 1931.
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, also, Butt became Director of Food Rationing at the
Ministry of Food
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...
. He was
knighted for his services to the ministry, and for his work for war charities, in 1918. He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for
Balham and Tooting in 1922. In 1929, he was created a
baronet "of Westminster in the County of London" for his services to political and public life. He was forced to resign from the
Commons
The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons c ...
in June 1936 over a financial scandal. After this, Butt concentrated on horse racing.
Life and career
Alfred Butt was born in London, the son of solicitor
Alfred Beyfus whose forebears had migrated from
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
to Glasgow and London, and educated at
Emanuel School before entering employment in the counting-house of
Harrod's
Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other ...
department store where his uncle,
Edgar Cohen, through the Beyfus family was a director.
[Smith, ''Alhambra Glasgow''] He subsequently joined the Palace Theatre, a music hall in Cambridge Circus, London, largely controlled by the Beyfus family and associates.[ He became company secretary of the Palace Theatre Limited in 1898, at the young age of 19. He quickly advanced to the position of assistant manager, and when Charles Morton retired in 1904, he became manager of the Palace. In 1906 he became managing director, a position he held for 14 years.][
He developed close links with the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit and its associates in the United States, and brought numerous American stars to London. He also introduced British audiences to continental performers such as ]Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...
and Yvette Guilbert
Yvette Guilbert (; born Emma Laure Esther Guilbert, 20 January 1865 – 3 February 1944) was a French cabaret singer and actress of the '' Belle Époque''.
Biography
Born in Paris into a poor family as Emma Laure Esther Guilbert, Guilbert b ...
.[ In 1910 he greatly expanded his theatre business when he took control of ]Thomas Barrasford
Thomas Barrasford (1859–1910) was a 19th-century British entrepreneur and entertainment impresario, who operated and built a number of theatres across Britain, mainly under the Barrasford Halls brand.
Early career
Born in South Shields, Co ...
's music halls and formed a joint company, the "Variety Theatres Controlling Company Limited", with Walter de Frece
Sir Abraham Walter de Frece (7 October 1870 – 7 January 1935) was a British theatre impresario, and later Conservative Party politician, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1920 to 1931. His wife was the celebrated male impersonato ...
. VTCC became the second largest chain of music halls in the United Kingdom, second only to Moss Empires
Moss Empires was a company formed in Edinburgh in 1899, from the merger of the theatre companies owned by Sir Edward Moss, Richard Thornton and Sir Oswald Stoll. This created the largest chain of variety theatres and music halls in the United ...
.[ Among their London theatres managed by Butt were the Globe and Queen's Theatres.][
Outside London Butt opened two new theatres, firstly, the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow, in 1910, designed by Sir John James Burnet and, secondly, the Theatre Mogador, ]Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
in 1919 (delayed by the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
), designed by Bertie Crewe.[ Butt became managing director of three West End theatres during the war: the ]Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
(1915–19), the Empire Theatre (1914–28) and the Gaiety Theatre (1915–19). He became joint owner and managing director of London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
from 1925 to 1931.[
Also during the First World War, he was appointed in 1917 by the new Prime Minister ]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. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...
as the Director of Food Rationing, and introduced compulsory food rationing with the support of his principal civil servant William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal politician who was a progressive and social reformer who played a central role in designing the British welfare state. His 19 ...
. He was knighted for his services to the Ministry, and for his work for war charities, in 1918.[
Butt was a supporter of the Conservative & Unionist Party. After standing unsuccessfully for the party at parliamentary elections at ]Walworth
Walworth () is a district of south London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross.
Major streets in Walworth include the Old ...
and Paddington North, he was elected as member of parliament for Balham and Tooting at the 1922 general election.[ In 1929 he was created a baronet "of Westminster in the County of London" for his services to political and public life.][ He held the seat at successive elections until he was forced to resign from the ]Commons
The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons c ...
in June 1936 over a scandal concerning a leak of budget details from which he was believed to have benefited financially.
With the end of his political career, Butt concentrated on his interest in the horse-racing industry. He purchased the Brook Stud near Newmarket. His two most successful horses were '' Steady Aim'', winner of The Oaks, and ''Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication.
In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offi ...
'', winner of the Ascot New Stakes, both in 1946.[
]![Sir Alfred & Lady Butt & son Kenneth LCCN2014717987](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Sir_Alfred_%26_Lady_Butt_%26_son_Kenneth_LCCN2014717987.jpg)
Personal life
He was married twice. The first marriage in 1908 was to Georgina Mary Say, who died in 1960. His second marriage was to Wilhelmine Wahl later in 1960. He had one son, Kenneth Dudley Butt, from his first marriage.
Sir Alfred Butt died at his Newmarket home in December 1962, aged 84.[ He was cremated at ]Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
Crematorium.[
]
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Alfred
1878 births
1962 deaths
English theatre managers and producers
Impresarios
Knights Bachelor
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
UK MPs 1922–1923
UK MPs 1923–1924
UK MPs 1924–1929
UK MPs 1929–1931
UK MPs 1931–1935
UK MPs 1935–1945
People educated at Emanuel School
English Jews
Jewish British politicians
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom