Thomas Williamson, Baron Williamson, CBE, JP (2 September 1897 – 27 February 1983) was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician.[1]

Williamson was born in St. Helens, Lancashire. His father was a glassblower, and Tom began his career working in the office of his father's union, the National Amalgamated Union of Labour.[1][2] He became a full-time union delegate, and in 1924, when it became part of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW), he was appointed as a district secretary. He became interested in politics at age 9, when his father took him to see Tom Mann speak. During the First World War, he served with the Royal Engineers.[1]

He first foray into politics was serving on the Liverpool City Council from 1929 to 1935. At the 1945 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Brigg constituency in Lincolnshire. He resigned his seat in 1948, and the resulting by-election was won by Labour's Lance Mallalieu.[1]

In 1937, he became the industrial officer of NUGMW, and served as its General Secretary from 1946 to 1961. He was also President of the Trades Union Congress from 1957 to 1958. He was a founding member of the British Productivity Council.[1]

Williamson was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1950,[3] and was knighted in 1956.[4]

Williamson was created a life peer on 15 May 1962, with the title Baron Williamson, of Eccleston in the Borough of St. Helens in the County Palatine of Lancaster.[5]

He died in a Cheshire nursing home in 1983, aged 85. He was survived by his wife, Hilda Hartley, whom he married in 1925. They had one daughter.[1]

Coat of arms of Lord Williamson
Crest
Out of a mural crown sable masoned argent a pelican proper supporting a caduceus[6]
Escutcheon
Per saltire gules and sable three arms conjoined at the shoulder and flexed in a triangle each hand proper grasping a hammer or, over all a sun in splendour gold
Supporters
On either side a secretary bird proper in their beaks a square buckle gules
Motto
Quantum sufficit ("A sufficient quantity")

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Obituary: Lord Williamson". The Times. 1 March 1983. p. 14.
  2. ^ Clegg, H. A. (1954). General Union. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. pp. 304–306.
  3. ^ "No. 38929". The London Gazette. 8 June 1950. p. 2786.
  4. ^ "No. 40829". The London Gazette. 13 July 1956. pp. 4075–4076.
  5. ^ "No. 42675". The London Gazette. 15 May 1962. p. 3943.
  6. ^ Surrey Coats of Arms. Surrey Heritage. Retrieved 2 September 2017.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byDavid Quibell Member of Parliament for Brigg 1945–1948 Succeeded byLance Mallalieu Trade union offices Preceded byMark Hewitson President of the International Federation of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services 1939–1956 Succeeded byAdolph Kummernuss Preceded byCharles Dukes General Secretary of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers 1946–1961 Succeeded byJack Cooper Preceded byHerbert Bullock and William Harold Hutchinson Trades Union Congress representative to the American Federation of Labour 1949 With: Lincoln Evans Succeeded byFlorence Hancock and Will Lawther Preceded byWilfred Beard President of the Trades Union Congress 1957–1958 Succeeded byTom Yates
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