Politician. He was a British businessman, social reformer, and politician. He has been referred to as the "first modern politician" in regard to his campaigning techniques. Known for his monocle and signature orchid that would always be in his buttonhole, Winston Churchill referred to him as the man who "made the political weather".
Born in Camberwell, South London, it was whilst he was a student at University College School in London that he also worked in his father's shoemaking business. Aged 18, he begins work in his uncle's screw-making business, Nettlefolds, in Birmingham, primarily to protect his father's £10,000 investment in the firm. Starting off as a clerk, by his retirement at the age of 38 he had driven off competitors so that Nettlefolds made two thirds of all mental screws made in England.
At the age of 39, he joined what was then the Birmingham town council to involve himself in local politics. A liberal, there were strong radical and liberal traditions among Birmingham shoemakers, and the long tradition of social action in the Unitarian church he was a member of. He strongly believed in the 'civic gospel', which championed municipal activism and improvement, and this was proclaimed by nonconformist preacher and fellow Key Hill cemetery burial George Dawson. Chamberlain was aware that as Birmingham industrialized, its workers needed to see improvements in work, welfare, and social needs, which were not being reflected in the development of cities such as Manchester, where factories had stamped out the small, cottage industries and thus their individuality, which Birmingham was known for. In this, Chamberlain oversaw sweeping changes to housing, education, and sanitation in the city. He was also one of the chief driving forces behind the creation of the University of Birmingham, which gained its Royal Charter in 1900.
Standing for election as an MP in Sheffield in 1874, he was eventually selected to represent Birmingham in 1876 as a consequence of a by-election. Immediately, he rallied Liberal MPs into a cohesive unit and openly spoke out on Disraeli's foreign policy. Four years later, he was made President of the Board of Trade, and in 1895 was made Colonial Secretary: by this time, his liberal stance was becoming more conservative. Fully embracing imperialism, he desired British Empire expansion in Africa and was responsible for many colonies under British rule. His personal papers at the Cadbury Research Library chronicle this time, including his tour of South Africa after the Boer Wars had concluded.
At the turn of the century, he advocated for an Imperial Federation and tariffs in the threat of the growing distrust between the German Empire and the protectionist policies of the United States of America. The tariff scheme would have repealed the Free Trade laws that had existed since 1846, and the income would be used to fund social change projects.
His stance was not popular with the government and would ultimately see him resign from the cabinet, and after his 1906 election victory, he suffered a stroke at his home in Princes Gardens, South Kensington. Unable to regain his health, he resigned in 1914 and died from a heart attack two years later. He was buried with his first two wives and a child who died in infancy, close to the grave of his parents.
His son Austen later became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and his second son, Neville, became Prime Minister in the 1930s.
Politician. He was a British businessman, social reformer, and politician. He has been referred to as the "first modern politician" in regard to his campaigning techniques. Known for his monocle and signature orchid that would always be in his buttonhole, Winston Churchill referred to him as the man who "made the political weather".
Born in Camberwell, South London, it was whilst he was a student at University College School in London that he also worked in his father's shoemaking business. Aged 18, he begins work in his uncle's screw-making business, Nettlefolds, in Birmingham, primarily to protect his father's £10,000 investment in the firm. Starting off as a clerk, by his retirement at the age of 38 he had driven off competitors so that Nettlefolds made two thirds of all mental screws made in England.
At the age of 39, he joined what was then the Birmingham town council to involve himself in local politics. A liberal, there were strong radical and liberal traditions among Birmingham shoemakers, and the long tradition of social action in the Unitarian church he was a member of. He strongly believed in the 'civic gospel', which championed municipal activism and improvement, and this was proclaimed by nonconformist preacher and fellow Key Hill cemetery burial George Dawson. Chamberlain was aware that as Birmingham industrialized, its workers needed to see improvements in work, welfare, and social needs, which were not being reflected in the development of cities such as Manchester, where factories had stamped out the small, cottage industries and thus their individuality, which Birmingham was known for. In this, Chamberlain oversaw sweeping changes to housing, education, and sanitation in the city. He was also one of the chief driving forces behind the creation of the University of Birmingham, which gained its Royal Charter in 1900.
Standing for election as an MP in Sheffield in 1874, he was eventually selected to represent Birmingham in 1876 as a consequence of a by-election. Immediately, he rallied Liberal MPs into a cohesive unit and openly spoke out on Disraeli's foreign policy. Four years later, he was made President of the Board of Trade, and in 1895 was made Colonial Secretary: by this time, his liberal stance was becoming more conservative. Fully embracing imperialism, he desired British Empire expansion in Africa and was responsible for many colonies under British rule. His personal papers at the Cadbury Research Library chronicle this time, including his tour of South Africa after the Boer Wars had concluded.
At the turn of the century, he advocated for an Imperial Federation and tariffs in the threat of the growing distrust between the German Empire and the protectionist policies of the United States of America. The tariff scheme would have repealed the Free Trade laws that had existed since 1846, and the income would be used to fund social change projects.
His stance was not popular with the government and would ultimately see him resign from the cabinet, and after his 1906 election victory, he suffered a stroke at his home in Princes Gardens, South Kensington. Unable to regain his health, he resigned in 1914 and died from a heart attack two years later. He was buried with his first two wives and a child who died in infancy, close to the grave of his parents.
His son Austen later became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and his second son, Neville, became Prime Minister in the 1930s.
Bio by: David Conway
