Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster

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Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster PC (19 August 1855-12 March 1909) was a British politician.

He was the son of William Delafield Arnold, Director of Public Instruction in the Punjab, and grandson of Thomas Arnold of Rugby. When his father died in 1859, he was adopted by William Edward Forster and his wife, who was his father's sister.

He was educated at Rugby and University College, Oxford, from which he graduated with 1st Class Honours. He was called to the bar in 1879. He acted as private secretary to his adoptive father, who became Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1880. He joined Cassell & Co. in 1885, for whom he prepared educational manuals, including the "Citizen Reader" series. He was secretary of the Imperial Federation League from 1884.

He was Liberal Unionist Member of Parliament for West Belfast from 1892-1906 and Unionist member for Croydon from 1906 until his death.

He served in Government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty from 1900-1903 and as Secretary of State for War from 1903-1905, during which time he reorganized the War Office (see Esher Report).

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1903.

He married Mary, daughter of Professor Story-Maskelyne.

His publications included How to Solve the Irish Land Question. The Citizen Reader, The Laws of Everyday Life, This World of Ours, In a Conning Tower, Things New and Old, Our Home Army, A History of England, Army Letters, The Coming of the Kilogram, Our Great City, The Army in 1906: a Policy and a Vindication, and English Socialism of To-Day.

[edit] Sources

• Concise Dictionary of National Biography
• Who Was Who

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Thomas Sexton	Member of Parliament for Belfast West 1892–1906	Succeeded by Joseph Devlin
Preceded by Charles Ritchie	Member of Parliament for Croydon 1906–1909	Succeeded by Robert Hermon-Hodge
Political offices
Preceded by St John Brodrick	Secretary of State for War 1903–1905	Succeeded by Richard Burdon Haldane