George Mathers, 1st Baron Mathers


George Mathers, 1st Baron Mathers KT, PC, DL was a Scottish trade unionist and Labour Party politician. He served as Comptroller of the Household from 1944 to 1945 in Winston Churchill's war-time coalition government and as Treasurer of the Household from 1945 to 1946 in Clement Attlee's post-war Labour administration.

Background and education

Mathers was born in Newtown St Boswells, Roxburghshire, the son of George Mathers, JP, and Annie, daughter of James Barclay. He was educated at the Newtown St Boswells School.

Early working life and trade unionism

From 1899 Mathers served as a clerk with the North British Railway. He was active in the trade union and labour movement from 1908, becoming President of the Carlisle Trades Council and Labour Party from 1917 to 1920. He was elected a member of Carlisle City Council in 1919, before transferring to Edinburgh in 1921.

Political career

Mathers was Chairman of Edinburgh Central Independent Labour Party and President of the Edinburgh Branch of the Scottish Home Rule Association. He unsuccessfully contested Edinburgh West in 1923 and 1924 before being elected as Member of Parliament for the seat in 1929. He lost his seat in 1931 but was returned for Linlithgowshire in 1935. He continued to hold the seat until he stood down at the 1951 general election.
Mathers was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Under-Secretary of State for India from July 1929, and transferred to same position with the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in November of that year. From 1935 to 1945 he was a Scottish Labour Whip. He entered the government under Winston Churchill as Comptroller of the Household in October 1944, a post he held until the coalition government was disbanded in May 1945. When Labour came to power under Clement Attlee in July 1945, he was appointed Treasurer of the Household, which he remained until April the following year. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1947 and raised to the peerage as Baron Mathers, of Newtown St Boswells in the County of Roxburgh, on 30 January 1952, in recognition of his "political and public services". This was the last hereditary peerage created on the recommendation of a Labour Prime Minister.
Mathers was also Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1951, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh in 1946. In 1956 he was appointed a Knight of the Thistle.

Personal life

Lord Mathers married firstly Edith Mary, daughter of William Robinson, in 1916. After her death in June 1938 he married secondly Jessie, daughter of George Graham, in 1940. He died in September 1965, aged 79, when the barony became extinct.