Person

Masterman, Charles F. G. (Charles Frederick Gurney), 1873-1927

1873-1927

Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman was born on October 24, 1873, in London, England.

He was a British Liberal politician and author. He was educated at Weymouth College and Christ's College, Cambridge. As one of the best speakers, he became President of the Cambridge Union and joint Secretary of Cambridge University Liberal Club from 1895 to 1896. In 1897, he was awarded the Arnold Gerstenberg scholarship, returned to Cambridge and, in 1900, he was elected a fellow. He published books "From the Abyss" (1902) and "In Peril of Change" (1905) and contributed articles to the Independent Review, The Pilot, The Commonwealth, the Daily News, The Speaker, and The Nation. He was elected as Member of Parliament for West Ham North (1906-1910) and Bethnal Green South West (1911-1914). Masterman played a major role in writing parts of the Finance Bill, the Development Bill, the Shop Hours Bill, and the Coal Mines Bill and was responsible for the passage through parliament of the National Insurance Act 1911. In 1914, he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a post he held until 1915. From 1914 to 1917, with a background in journalism, he served as Head of the British War Propaganda Bureau, known as Wellington House. Masterman played a crucial role in publicizing reports of the Armenian genocide to strengthen the moral case against the Ottoman Empire. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get reelected in the early 1920s, he focused on writing and published several books, e.g., "How England is Governed" (1921) and "England after War" (1922).

In 1908, he married Lucy Blanche Lyttelton (1884–1977). He died on November 17, 1927, in London, England.