b.
27 May 1888
at
Gwaenysgor
,
Prestatyn, Flints.
, son of
Thomas
Macdonald
and
Ellen
(née
Hughes
)
, but the family soon moved to
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancs.
, where he was brought up in a
Welsh
-speaking home. He left
S. Luke's Elementary School
,
Stubshaw Cross
, at the age of 13 and worked as a
miner
until the beginning of
World War I
, apart from a period as a student at
Ruskin College
,
Oxford
. In
1920
he was elected a member of the
Wigan Board of Guardians
of which he was
chairman
in
1929
, and he became
president
of
Bryn Gates Co-operative Society
,
1922-24
. In
1924
he was elected
Miners' Agent
for
Lancashire
and
Cheshire
in the
Mineworkers Federation of Great Britain
, a post which he held until he was elected
M.P. (L)
for
Ince, Lancs.
, in
1929
. He showed energy and balanced judgement during a difficult period for
Labour
members. Although he was a friend of
Ramsay
Macdonald
, he did not support him in
1931
. He became a
whip
of the
Labour Party
, and took a
prominent part in debates on the coal industry and social matters
. He was also
Chairman of Committees
in the
House of Commons
,
1934-41
. In
1942
he resigned from
Parliament
on his appointment as
manager
for the
Lancashire
,
Cheshire
and
North Wales
region of the
Ministry of Fuel and Power
, and he was widely acclaimed for his work in this important post during
World War II
. In
1946
he received a
knighthood
and despite his inexperience he was nominated
Governor of Newfoundland
. The province was poor yet proud, and was in great financial difficulties, but
Macdonald
made a name for himself for his work among the
fishermen
,
colliers
and small
farmers
who called him ‘the governor of the poor’. He steered the state to independence within the dominion of
Canada
and on the day of confederation in
1949
he returned to
Britain
and was elevated
Baron of Gwaenysgor
.
Though he held the post of
Paymaster General
during
1949-51
, Commonwealth and international affairs interested him most. In
1950
he attended a meeting of the
United Nations
, and he was active in the preparations for an important conference in
Australia
on economic aid to countries of
south-east Asia
. From
1952-59
he was a member of the
Colonial Development Corporation
, a body which made an important contribution to the economic and social development of countries of the old empire when they were laying foundations for their independence.
After the fall of the
Labour government
in
1951
Lord Macdonald
returned to
Wales
, where he became prominent in a number of societies and public bodies, and his dedication to the welfare of
Wales
became apparent. He took a
great interest in religious and missionary societies
, and he was elected
president
of the
Band of Hope Union of Great Britain
,
1951
, and
president
of the
National Society of the Blind
. But it is as the first
chairman
of the
National Broadcasting Council for Wales
throughout the
1950s
that he became best well known in
Wales
. He published speeches and radio addresses he had made in
Newfoundland
in
Newfoundland at the cross roads
(
1949
), and his parliamentary impressions,
Atgofion seneddol
(
1953
).
He m.,
1913
,
Mary
Lewis
of
Blaenau Ffestiniog
and they had four children. He d.
20 Jan. 1966
: his eldest son,
Gordon Ramsay
Macdonald
(b.
1915
), succeeded to the title.
Deian R. Hopkin, London
