Charles Mallet

Sir Charles Edward Mallet (2 December 1862 – 21 November 1947), was a British historian and Liberal politician. He was knighted in 1917.

For those of a similar name, see Charles Malet (disambiguation).

Charles Mallet
Charles Mallet

Life

He was the only son of the activist Louisa (born Udny) and Charles Mallet, a civil servant.[1] He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and was admitted to Middle Temple on 21 May 1886. He was Called to the Bar on 3 July 1889.[2]

He first stood for parliament at the 1900 General Election when he was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the Conservative seat of Salford West.[3] Mallet was returned to Parliament for Plymouth in 1906.

In 1908 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Walter Runciman who was President of the Board of Education. In February 1910 Asquith was considering him as a possible Chief Whip but was dissuaded by the outgoing Chief Whip Jack Pease who felt he was out of sympathy with many leading Liberals over the Lords.[4]

In March 1910 Prime Minister H. H. Asquith appointed him Financial Secretary to the War Office, a position he held until he was defeated in the December general election of the same year. He sought a return to parliament at the 1917 Salford North by-election as a Coalition Liberal candidate but was defeated by an Independent Labour candidate.[5] He did not contest the 1918 General Election. He was Honorary Secretary of the Free Trade Union.[6]

He became a supporter of the official Liberal party that opposed the Coalition Government. He sought to make a return to parliament standing as Liberal candidate for South Aberdeen, in 1922 without success.

General election 1922: Aberdeen South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Frederick Thomson 13,208 58.0
Liberal Charles Mallet 9,573 42.0

He tried again in 1923 without success.

General election 1923: Aberdeen South[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Frederick Thomson 11,258 47.3 -10.7
Labour John Paton 6,911 29.0 n/a
Liberal Charles Mallet 5,641 23.7 -18.3

He had published two works on Liberal politicians; Mr Lloyd George, a Study (1930) and Herbert Gladstone, a Memoir (1932).[9]

His book on Lloyd George was entirely devoted to the shortcomings of the Liberal Leader.[10]

References
  1. "Mallet [née Udny], Louisa Tempe (1837–1904), women's activist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/56473. Retrieved 3 October 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. Sturgess, H.A.C. (1949). Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.: Temple Bar. Vol. II, p.656
  3. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
  4. A Liberal Chronicle 1908-1910 by Jack Pease
  5. Debrett's House of Commons 1918
  6. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1922
  7. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  8. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
  9. ‘MALLET, Sir Charles Edward’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012; online edn, Oct 2012 Profile, ukwhoswho.com; accessed 21 February 2014.
  10. The Downfall of the Liberal Party by Trevor Wilson
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