Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton

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Frederick James Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton CH (1883–1964) was a British businessman and politician.

Educated at Manchester Grammar School and Manchester University (where he was a Research Fellow) Woolton was an active member of the Unitarian Church.

In the 1930s he built up the department store Lewis's, of which he became Managing Director, and for his contribution to British industry he was awarded a peerage in 1939. Despite his wishes, he was informed that it was not possible to be Baron Marquis and so he took the title Baron Woolton. He subsequently served on a number of government committeess (including the Cadman committee). Geoffrey Dawson described him as "a cheerful cove".

In April 1940 he was appointed as Minister of Food by Neville Chamberlain, one of a number of ministerial appointments from outside politics. Woolton retained this position when Winston Churchill became Prime Minister the following month and was faced with the task of overseeing rationing due to wartime shortages. He took the view that it was insufficient to impose restrictions but that a programme of advertising to support it was undertaken. There were many new recipes made out of the restricted supplies, including the "Woolton pie" named after the minister which consisted of carrots, parsnips, potatoes and turnips in oatmeal, with a pastry or potato crust and served with brown gravy. It was Woolton's business skills that managed to make the Ministry of Food's difficult job a success and he engendered a strong personal popularity despite the shortages.

In 1943 Woolton entered the War Cabinet as Minister of Reconstruction, taking charge of the difficult task of planning for post-war Britain. In May 1945 he was including in Churchill's "Caretaker" government as Lord President of the Council, but in July the government fell when Churchill lost the 1945 general election. The very next day Woolton joined the Conservative Party and was soon appointed Party Chairman, with the job of improving the party's organisation in the country and revitalising it for future elections. Under Woolton many sweeping reforms were carried out and when the Conservatives returned to government in 1951, Woolton served in the Cabinet for the next four years.

Political offices
Preceded by:
William Shepherd Morrison		 Minister of Food
1940–1943		 Succeeded by:
John Llewellin
Preceded by:
—		 Minister of Reconstruction
1943–1945		 Succeeded by:
Office Abolished
Preceded by:
Clement Attlee		 Lord President of the Council
1945		 Succeeded by:
Herbert Stanley Morrison
Preceded by:
Ralph Assheton		 Chairman of the Conservative Party
1946–1955		 Succeeded by:
Oliver Poole
Preceded by:
The Viscount Addison		 Lord President of the Council
1951–1952		 Succeeded by:
The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by:
The Viscount Swinton		 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
1952–1955		 Succeeded by:
The Earl of Selkirk
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by:
New Creation		 Earl of Woolton
1956–1964		 Succeeded by:
Roger Marquis
Preceded by:
New Creation		 Viscount Woolton
1953–1964
Preceded by:
New Creation		 Baron Woolton
1939–1964
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