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William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood

1880 – 1953

British peer

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About William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood

Lived 1880 – 1953 (aged 73). William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood was a British trade unionist and politician.

William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood OBE (28 August 1880 – 13 September 1953), was a British trade unionist and Labour politician.

Westwood was the son of William Westwood of Dundee, Scotland. He was national supervisor of the Ship Constructors' and Shipwrights' Association (now part of GMB Union) from 1913 to 1929 and its general secretary from 1929 to 1945 as well as chief industrial adviser from 1942 to 1945. He was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1920. On 29 January 1944 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Westwood, of Gosforth in the County of Northumberland. He then served in the Labour government of Clement Attlee as a lord-in-waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) between 1945 and 1947 and was also chairman of the Mineral Development Committee under the Ministry of Fuel and Power from 1946 to 1949.

Lord Westwood married firstly Margaret, daughter of William Young, in 1905. After her death in 1916 he married secondly Agnes Helen, daughter of James Downie, in 1918. She died in 1952. Lord Westwood survived her by a year and died in September 1953, aged 73. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son from his first marriage, William.

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Important facts

Birth century
Positions held
Member of the House of Lords

Family & relationships

Child
William Westwood, 2nd Baron Westwood

People in William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood?

British peer

When was William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood born?

William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood was born on 28 August 1880.

When did William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood die?

William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood died on 13 September 1953.

What was William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood's occupation?

William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood was a trade unionist and politician.

What nationality was William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood?

William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood

· Wikidata: Q8020236

· DBpedia: William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood. https://biography.guide/william-westwood-1st-baron-westwood/

MLA: "William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-westwood-1st-baron-westwood/.

Chicago: "William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-westwood-1st-baron-westwood/.

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