J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone

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John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, CB, CMG, DSO, PC, TD (May 31, 1868 – November 7, 1947), was a British soldier and Liberal politician, chiefly known for his tenure as Secretary of State for War during the years leading up to the First World War.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Later career 4 Other posts 5 Reputation 6 Family 7 Medals and awards 8 Marriage 9 External links & sources

[edit] Early life

Seely was the son of Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Harrow School, where he met an older Stanley Baldwin and a younger Winston Churchill, and at Trinity College, Cambridge. Churchill became a lifelong friend and some of their correspondence can be found at the Churchill Archives, here: [1]

He was later called to the Bar, Inner Temple. Seely also served in the Second Boer War, where he was mentioned in dispatches, awarded a medal with four clasps as well as the DSO in 1900.

[edit] Political career

Seely was elected Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight in 1900, a seat he held until 1906, and again from 1923 to 1924; he also sat for Liverpool Abercromby between 1906 and 1910 and for Ilkeston between 1910 and 1922. He served as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies under H. H. Asquith between 1908 and 1911, as Under-Secretary of State for War from 1911 to 1912, and became a member of the Privy Council in 1909. According to the Dictionary of National Biography, "Since his chief, Lord Crewe, was in the Lords, important work fell to the under-secretary, in particular the introduction of the measure which brought about the Union of South Africa." In 1912 Seely was appointed Secretary of State for War, with a seat in the Cabinet, a post he held until 1914. With Sir John French he was responsible for the invitation to Marshall Foch to attend the British manoeuvres in 1912 and was active in preparing the army for war with Germany. The mobility of the proposed Expeditionary Force and in particular the development of a Flying Corps (the origin of modern day Air Force) were his special interests. According to The Times these developments played a significant role in the victory during World War I.

When the Curragh incident in Ireland in 1914 forced him to resign, he left England to fight in the First World War, becoming a Major General and commander of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. Seely won several medals and merited mention in dispatches five times, enhancing his reputation for bravery in battle. After being gassed in 1918 he returned to England as the only member of the Cabinet to see active service in the war. He was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Munitions and Deputy Minister of Munitions in 1918, and Under-Secretary of State for Air and President of the Air Council in 1919. However, he resigned both posts at the end of 1919 after the Government refused to create a Secretary of State for Air (as it later did).

[edit] Later career

He was made Chairman of the National Savings Committee in 1926, a post he served in until 1943, the same year he became Vice-President. During this time he was asked by the Government to conduct the publicity in regard to the conversion of the 5% war loan. According to The Times, "in the Second World War the activities of the National Savings Committee were largely extended and became a vital part of the national war effort." He continued to have an influential role in domestic politics; in fact, due to his influence in the formation of the all-party Government of Co-operation in 1931, Lloyd George called him the "Father of National Government."

[edit] Other posts

Seely was also an Honorary Major-General, a Colonel of the Territorial Army, an Honorary Colonel of 72nd (Hampshire), an Honorary Air Commander Auxiliary Air Force, and Vice-President of the RNLI. Moreover, he served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire from 1918 to 1947, as a Justice of the Peace for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, as the first Chairman of Wembley Stadium, and as a director of Thomas Cook. On 21st June 1933 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Mottistone, of Mottistone in the County of Southampton.

[edit] Reputation

The Times called him a "Gallant Figure in War and Politics" and F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, wrote, “In fields of great and critical danger he has constantly over a long period of years displayed a cool valour which everybody in the world who knows the facts freely recognizes.” Ferdinand Foch, better known as Marshall Foch, the commander of the Allied Armies in World War I, gave him a cigarette case inscribed, “Au Ministre de 1912: au Vaillant de la Grande Guerre.”

[edit] Family

Seely was a member of a family of politicians, industrialists and significant landowners. His father (Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet), brother (Sir Charles Seely, 2nd Baronet), nephew and grandfather were all Members of Parliament. His grandfather Charles Seely (1803-1887) was a noted philanthropist and famous for hosting Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary hero, in London and the Isle of Wight in 1864. Seely's nephew Sir Hugh Seely, 3rd Baronet and 1st Baron Sherwood, was Under-Secretary of State for Air during the Second World War. His eldest son from his second marriage, David Peter Seely, 4th Baron Mottistone, was the last Governor of the Isle of Wight. The family had homes in Nottinghamshire and the Isle of Wight as well as extensive property in London. It is with the Isle of Wight that Jack Seely will always be associated. His favourite uncle, Col. Harry Gore Browne, won the Victoria Cross during the Indian Mutiny. Gore Browne was manager of the extensive Seely estates on the Isle of Wight. Queen Victoria lived nearby at her favourite residence, Osborne House. His grandson is Brough Scott who presented such horse racing television programmes as The_ITV_Seven and Channel 4 Racing as well as writing a biography of Seely.

More information on the Seely family estates can be found at the UK National Registry of Archives by clicking here: [2].

[edit] Medals and awards

He received the following awards and medals: CB Companion in The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (1918), CMG Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (1918), DSO Distinguished Service Order(1900) and TD. He was also awarded the Order of the Crown (Belgium), the Croix de guerre, the Légion d'honneur, which is France's highest honour, and the Freedom of the City of Portsmouth in 1927 (UK) [3].

[edit] Marriage

In 1895 Seely married Emily Florence, daughter of Colonel Honourable Sir Henry George Louis Crichton, KCB. After her death he married Hon. Evelyn Izme Murray, JP (d. 11st Aug 1976) on 31st July 1917. She was the widow of George Crosfield Norris Nicholson and daughter of Montolieu Fox Oliphant-Murray, 10th Lord Elibank.

[edit] External links & sources

• Burke's Peerage and Baronetage 107th Edition Volume III [4]

• Dictionary of National Biography, 1941-1950.

• Seely Baronets

• According to the Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum (Former President of the Royal Academy of Arts and famous horse painter) [5] "Without doubt his most important painting was that of 'General J. E. B. Seely (later Lord Mottistone) on his charger Warrior' (National Gàllery, Ottawa), which led to his commission to paint the Earl of Athlone, brother of Queen Mary."

• Correspondence with Winston Churchill can be found at The Churchill Archives by clicking here: [6]

• JEB Seely's numerous papers can be found at the UK National Registry of Archives-Please click here:

[7], which includes his official papers, located at Nuffield College, Oxford University.

• He lived at Mottistone Manor [8].

• His biography, Galloper Jack by Brough Scott, was published by Macmillan in 2004 (ISBN 0-333-98938-4).

• See portraits at National Portrait Gallery, [9].

• Imperial War Museum portrait by Sir William Orpen at: [10]

• Wight Life April/May 1975 article on The Seely Family and their Island Homes [11]

• Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London, Survey of the Papers of Senior UK Defence Personnel, 1900-1975 [12]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: Sir Richard Webster	Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight 1900–1906	Succeeded by: Godfrey Baring
Preceded by: William Frederic Lawrence	Member of Parliament for Liverpool, Abercromby 1906–1910	Succeeded by: Richard Godolphin Walmesley Chaloner
Preceded by: Balthazar Walter Foster	Member of Parliament for Ilkeston 1910–1922	Succeeded by: George Harold Oliver
Preceded by: Edgar Chatfeild-Clarke	Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight 1923–1924	Succeeded by: Sir Peter Macdonald
Honorary Titles
Preceded by: The Marquess of Winchester	Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 1918–1947	Succeeded by: The Viscount Portal
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: New Creation	Baron Mottistone 1933–1947	Succeeded by: Henry Seely