Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood | |
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Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
In office 22 January – 3 November 1924 |
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Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
Preceded by | J. C. C. Davidson |
Succeeded by | The Viscount Cecil of Chelwood |
Personal details | |
Born | 16 March 1872 |
Died | 26 July 1943 (aged 71) |
Colonel Josiah Clement Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood, DSO, PC, DL (16 March 1872 – 26 July 1943), sometimes referred to as Josiah Wedgwood IV, was a British Liberal and Labour politician who served in government under Ramsay MacDonald. He was a prominent single-tax activist following the political-economic reformer Henry George. He was the great-great-grandson of the famous potter Josiah Wedgwood.
Josiah Wedgwood was born at Barlaston in Staffordshire, the son of Clement Wedgwood. He was the great-great-grandson of the potter Josiah Wedgwood. His mother Emily Catherine was the daughter of the engineer James Meadows Rendel. He was educated at Clifton College and then studied at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
He married his first cousin Ethel Kate Bowen (1869–1952), daughter of Sir Charles Bowen, 1st Baron Bowen in 1894 but she left him in 1913 and divorced him in 1919. Since divorce at that time required a guilty party, he agreed to take the blame and was found guilty of adultery and desertion of his wife and children. This led to criticism from the press and pulpit. More criticism was levelled after the divorce was final and he revealed that the desertion was a formality and the adultery staged. They had seven children: