| Description | This is an artificial collection which collates distributed materials held in the Archives relating to James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (1916–1995) and his constituency duties.
Twice Prime Minister, Harold Wilson served as Member of Parliament for the Ormskirk and then Huyton constituencies. He was born at 4 Warneford Road, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, on 11 March 1916 to James Herbert Wilson (1882–1971), a works chemist, and Ethel, née Seddon (1882–1957), who worked as a schoolteacher prior to her marriage. Harold Wilson was educated at New Street Elementary School, Milnsbridge and Royds Hall School, Huddersfield, until the family moved to the Wirral where he attended Wirral County Grammar School, Bebington. In 1934, Wilson went to University at Jesus College, Oxford to study history, before switching course to study philosophy, politics and economics. He married his childhood sweetheart, Gladys Mary Baldwin on 1 January 1940. He was elected to Parliament as M.P. for Ormskirk in 1945 and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Works. Two years later, he was made Secretary for Overseas Trade and became the youngest 20th century cabinet minister at the age of 31 when he took the role of President of the Board of Trade on 29 September 1947. In the General Election of 1950, Wilson was elected to the new seat of Huyton, serving for 33 years until 1983. He was elected Leader of the opposition Labour Party on 14 February 1963.
His first term as Prime Minister (1964-1970) followed the 1964 General Election. He called a further election in 1966 when Labour was successful in defeating Edward Heath’s Conservative Party. Wilson’s second term as P.M. ran from 1974-1976, when he returned to Downing Street on 4 March 1974 leading a minority Labour Government. He gained a three-seat majority in the second election that year, on 10 October 1974. On 16 March 1976, Wilson announced that he would resign as Prime Minister from 5 April 1976. He continued to represent his constituency until his retirement from Parliament at the 1983 General Election. On 23 April 1976 he was made a Knight of the Garter and following his retirement, Sir Harold was made Baron Wilson of Rievaulx. He died following a long illness on 23 May 1995 at St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth, London and was buried at Old Town Church on St Mary's, the Isles of Scilly, on 6 June 1995. |