Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford
Encyclopedia
Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford KG
, PC (5 December 1905–3 August 2001), known as the Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician, author, and social reformer. He was a Labour
minister who attracted much controversy with his unsuccessful campaign for the release of Moors murderer
Myra Hindley from prison, and also for his high-profile opposition to the gay rights movement. He was also criticised by the media for touring the sex clubs of Europe which he had attempted to close down. Both of these campaigns led to his being the target of a particularly high level of ridicule and criticism from the tabloid media.
, of the second creation, in the Peerage of Ireland
, he was educated at Eton College
and New College, Oxford
, where, despite having failed to be awarded a scholarship, he graduated with a first-class honours
degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
. He became a don
at Christ Church
. At Oxford he met his future wife, Elizabeth Harman, an undergraduate at Lady Margaret Hall
.
where he developed Education policy for the Conservative Party
. His future wife persuaded him to become a socialist
. They married on 3 November 1931 and eventually had a total of eight children. In 1940, after a period of religious unease, he became a Catholic. His wife was initially dismayed by this, as she had been brought up as a Unitarian and associated Catholicism with reactionary politics
; however, she herself became a Catholic in 1946.
Pakenham embarked on a political career. In 1945, he was created Baron Pakenham, of Cowley
in the City of Oxford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
, and took his seat in the House of Lords
. He served as a junior minister in the Labour
governments of 1945–1951 and as a Cabinet
member from 1964 to 1968. In 1961, he inherited from his brother the earldom of Longford
in the Peerage of Ireland
and from then onwards was generally known to the public as Lord Longford. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1971.
of 1971, protesting against the commercial exploitation of sex and violence in Britain, and advocating the teaching of Christ as the key to recovering moral stability in the nation. His anti-pornography campaigning made him the subject of derision as Lord Porn when he and former prison doctor Christine Temple-Saville set out on a wide-ranging tour of sex industry establishments in the early 1970s to compile a self-funded report. The press made much of his visits to strip clubs in Copenhagen at the time.
Myra Hindley which led to the soubriquet Lord Wrongford from the tabloid press. It also coincided with Longford's contact with Hindley becoming public knowledge in 1972, and allegations of hypocrisy were frequently made against him. In 1977, Longford appeared on television and spoke openly of his belief that Hindley should now be released from prison as she had repented for her sins and was no longer a danger to the public. In 1985, he condemned the Parole Board's
decision not to consider Hindley's release for another five years as "barbaric", and his campaign for Hindley continued even after she admitted to two more murders in 1986 - this development led to widespread subsequent public and media allegations that Hindley's remorse was nothing than a ploy to try to bring herself closer to release.
In 1990, Home Secretary David Waddington ruled that "life should mean life"
for Hindley (who had originally been told by earlier Home Secretaries and High Court
judges that she would have to serve a minimum of 25 and then 30 years before being considered for parole), as did the next three home secretaries. Hindley did make three appeals against her tariff between 1997 and 2000, but the High Court
rejected each one. Longford spoke of his disgust that she was being kept in prison, saying that she was a changed woman who was no longer a threat. He regularly commented, along with several other of Hindley's supporters, that she was a "political prisoner
" who was being kept in prison for votes, claiming that successive Conservative and Labour home secretaries feared that their party would fall out of favour with the voters if they sanctioned Hindley's release. Hindley died in November 2002, having never been paroled.
Longford met several of the relatives of the Moors victims, most notably Ann West, the mother of Lesley Ann Downey. He regularly condemned the media for manipulating West and feeding her desire for revenge, being particularly critical of The Sun
newspaper for their "exploitation" of West - she gave numerous television and newspaper interviews calling for Hindley to remain imprisoned for life, and vowed to kill Hindley if she was ever set free. In 1986, he reportedly told West that unless she forgave Hindley and fellow Moors Murderer Ian Brady, she would not go to heaven
when she died. Longford also commented that he was "tremendously sorry for her, but letting her decide Myra's fate would be ludicrous".
The story of Longford's campaign to free Hindley was told in the Channel 4
film Longford
in 2006. Longford was played by Jim Broadbent
(who won a BAFTA for his role) and Hindley was played by Samantha Morton
.
was also a source of great contoversy. Despite the fact that Beck received five life terms (one of the harshest sentences since the abolition of the death penalty) for systematic physical and sexual abuse of children in his 'care', whilst in charge of three Leicestershire children's homes, Longford was convinced of his innocence and attracted criticism after sending a bouquet of flowers to his funeral in 1994, Beck having died from a heart attack in Whitemoor Prison. "Personally I am convinced that not only did Frank Beck act throughout as an idealist, but that he did not exceed the bounds of propriety and certainly did not commit any criminal act," wrote Longford in his autobiography, 'Avowed Intent.'
. In the 1960s, during the Parliamentary debates that eventually led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality
in England
and Wales
, he stated that homosexuality was "nauseating" and that, regardless of any change in the law, it was "utterly wrongful".
In the mid-1980s, Longford was a vocal supporter of the introduction of Section 28
by Margaret Thatcher
's Conservative government and, during the Parliamentary debates, he famously stated his opinion that homosexuals are "handicapped people". Section 28 became law in 1988, but Longford continued to support it and fought against its repeal when the new Labour
government came to power in 1997. Section 28 was ultimately removed from the statute books in 2003.
In a 1998 House of Lords debate concerning equalisation of the age of consent
for gay
men, Longford remarked that:
The age of consent for gay men was equalised with that of heterosexuals (16) in 2000.
Longford's highly publicised condemnation of homosexuality in the late 1980s made him a regular target of comedian Julian Clary
, who would satirise
him in his stage shows and television appearances.
the majority of hereditary peers
lost the privilege of a seat and right to vote in the House of Lords
. Lord Longford, as one upon whom a hereditary peerage (the barony of Pakenham) had been conferred (as opposed to one who had inherited it), was made a life peer
so that he could retain his seat in the Lords. He was thus created Baron Pakenham of Cowley, of Cowley in the County of Oxfordshire.
of 1921 between the Irish and British representatives. His account uses primary sources from the time and is widely recognised as the definitive account of this aspect of Irish history. Longford also came to greatly admire Éamon de Valera
and was chosen as the co-author of his official biography Éamon de Valera which was published in 1970 and which was co-written by Thomas P. O'Neill. He also campaigned for decades to have the Hugh Lane
bequest pictures restored to Dublin, resulting in a compromise agreement in 1959.
, Rachel Billington, Judith Kazantzis
, and Thomas Pakenham. His wife Elizabeth was a noted writer herself, her most famous book being Victoria R.I. (1964), a biography of Queen Victoria, published in the US as Born to Succeed. She also wrote a two-volume biography of the Duke of Wellington
, and a volume of memoirs, The Pebbled Shore. She stood for Parliament as Labour candidate for Cheltenham in the 1950 general election
.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC (5 December 1905–3 August 2001), known as the Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician, author, and social reformer. He was a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister who attracted much controversy with his unsuccessful campaign for the release of Moors murderer
Moors murders
The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around what is now Greater Manchester, England. The victims were five children aged between 10 and 17—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans—at least...
Myra Hindley from prison, and also for his high-profile opposition to the gay rights movement. He was also criticised by the media for touring the sex clubs of Europe which he had attempted to close down. Both of these campaigns led to his being the target of a particularly high level of ridicule and criticism from the tabloid media.
Background and education
The second son of Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of LongfordThomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford
Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford KP, MVO , known as Lord Silchester until 1887, was an Irish peer and soldier....
, of the second creation, in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, he was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where, despite having failed to be awarded a scholarship, he graduated with a first-class honours
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, politics, and economics is a popular interdisciplinary undergraduate/graduate degree which combines study from the three disciplines...
. He became a don
University don
A don is a fellow or tutor of a college or university, especially traditional collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England.The term — similar to the title still used for Catholic priests — is a historical remnant of Oxford and Cambridge having started as ecclesiastical...
at Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. At Oxford he met his future wife, Elizabeth Harman, an undergraduate at Lady Margaret Hall
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located at the end of Norham Gardens in north Oxford. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £34m....
.
Political career
In 1931, 25-year-old Pakenham joined the Conservative Research DepartmentConservative Research Department
The Conservative Research Department is part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. It operates alongside other departments of Conservative Campaign Headquarters at 30 Millbank, London SW1....
where he developed Education policy for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. His future wife persuaded him to become a socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. They married on 3 November 1931 and eventually had a total of eight children. In 1940, after a period of religious unease, he became a Catholic. His wife was initially dismayed by this, as she had been brought up as a Unitarian and associated Catholicism with reactionary politics
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
; however, she herself became a Catholic in 1946.
Pakenham embarked on a political career. In 1945, he was created Baron Pakenham, of Cowley
Cowley, Oxford
Cowley in Oxford, England, is a residential and industrial area that forms a small conurbation within greater Oxford. Cowley's neighbours are central Oxford to the northwest, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, New Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across...
in the City of Oxford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, and took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He served as a junior minister in the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
governments of 1945–1951 and as a Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
member from 1964 to 1968. In 1961, he inherited from his brother the earldom of Longford
Earl of Longford
Earl of Longford is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. It was first bestowed upon Francis Aungier, 3rd Baron Aungier of Longford, in 1677, with remainder to his younger brother Ambrose. He had previously represented Surrey in the House of Commons and had already been...
in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
and from then onwards was generally known to the public as Lord Longford. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1971.
Campaigning
Longford was a founding member of New Bridge, an organisation founded in 1956, which aims to help prisoners stay in touch with society and integrate back into it. He was a leading figure in the Nationwide Festival of LightNationwide Festival of Light
The Nationwide Festival of Light was a grassroots movement formed by British Christians concerned about the development of the permissive society in the UK at the end of the 1960s....
of 1971, protesting against the commercial exploitation of sex and violence in Britain, and advocating the teaching of Christ as the key to recovering moral stability in the nation. His anti-pornography campaigning made him the subject of derision as Lord Porn when he and former prison doctor Christine Temple-Saville set out on a wide-ranging tour of sex industry establishments in the early 1970s to compile a self-funded report. The press made much of his visits to strip clubs in Copenhagen at the time.
Myra Hindley
Over time he gained a reputation for eccentricity, becoming known for his efforts to rehabilitate offenders and in particular campaigning for the parole and release from prison of the Moors murdererMoors murders
The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around what is now Greater Manchester, England. The victims were five children aged between 10 and 17—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans—at least...
Myra Hindley which led to the soubriquet Lord Wrongford from the tabloid press. It also coincided with Longford's contact with Hindley becoming public knowledge in 1972, and allegations of hypocrisy were frequently made against him. In 1977, Longford appeared on television and spoke openly of his belief that Hindley should now be released from prison as she had repented for her sins and was no longer a danger to the public. In 1985, he condemned the Parole Board's
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
decision not to consider Hindley's release for another five years as "barbaric", and his campaign for Hindley continued even after she admitted to two more murders in 1986 - this development led to widespread subsequent public and media allegations that Hindley's remorse was nothing than a ploy to try to bring herself closer to release.
In 1990, Home Secretary David Waddington ruled that "life should mean life"
Whole life tariff
This is a list of prisoners who have received a whole life tariff through some mechanism in jurisdictions of the United Kingdom.Eight of these prisoners have since died in prison, while three of them have had their sentences reduced on appeal, meaning that there are currently at least 48 prisoners...
for Hindley (who had originally been told by earlier Home Secretaries and High Court
High Court
The term High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court . In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some...
judges that she would have to serve a minimum of 25 and then 30 years before being considered for parole), as did the next three home secretaries. Hindley did make three appeals against her tariff between 1997 and 2000, but the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
rejected each one. Longford spoke of his disgust that she was being kept in prison, saying that she was a changed woman who was no longer a threat. He regularly commented, along with several other of Hindley's supporters, that she was a "political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
" who was being kept in prison for votes, claiming that successive Conservative and Labour home secretaries feared that their party would fall out of favour with the voters if they sanctioned Hindley's release. Hindley died in November 2002, having never been paroled.
Longford met several of the relatives of the Moors victims, most notably Ann West, the mother of Lesley Ann Downey. He regularly condemned the media for manipulating West and feeding her desire for revenge, being particularly critical of The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper for their "exploitation" of West - she gave numerous television and newspaper interviews calling for Hindley to remain imprisoned for life, and vowed to kill Hindley if she was ever set free. In 1986, he reportedly told West that unless she forgave Hindley and fellow Moors Murderer Ian Brady, she would not go to heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
when she died. Longford also commented that he was "tremendously sorry for her, but letting her decide Myra's fate would be ludicrous".
The story of Longford's campaign to free Hindley was told in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
film Longford
Longford (film)
Longford is a 2006 drama television film directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan.The film centres on Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley....
in 2006. Longford was played by Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
(who won a BAFTA for his role) and Hindley was played by Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
.
Frank Beck
Longford's association with the convicted child sex offender, Frank BeckFrank Beck (sex offender)
Frank Beck was a convicted child sex offender in the United Kingdom. He was employed by the Leicestershire County Council as the officer-in-charge of several Children's Homes in Leicestershire, between 1973 and 1986...
was also a source of great contoversy. Despite the fact that Beck received five life terms (one of the harshest sentences since the abolition of the death penalty) for systematic physical and sexual abuse of children in his 'care', whilst in charge of three Leicestershire children's homes, Longford was convinced of his innocence and attracted criticism after sending a bouquet of flowers to his funeral in 1994, Beck having died from a heart attack in Whitemoor Prison. "Personally I am convinced that not only did Frank Beck act throughout as an idealist, but that he did not exceed the bounds of propriety and certainly did not commit any criminal act," wrote Longford in his autobiography, 'Avowed Intent.'
Opposition to homosexuality
Longford was a staunch opponent of the promotion of homosexuality in societyLGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
. In the 1960s, during the Parliamentary debates that eventually led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, he stated that homosexuality was "nauseating" and that, regardless of any change in the law, it was "utterly wrongful".
In the mid-1980s, Longford was a vocal supporter of the introduction of Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
by Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Conservative government and, during the Parliamentary debates, he famously stated his opinion that homosexuals are "handicapped people". Section 28 became law in 1988, but Longford continued to support it and fought against its repeal when the new Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government came to power in 1997. Section 28 was ultimately removed from the statute books in 2003.
In a 1998 House of Lords debate concerning equalisation of the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
for gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men, Longford remarked that:
The age of consent for gay men was equalised with that of heterosexuals (16) in 2000.
Longford's highly publicised condemnation of homosexuality in the late 1980s made him a regular target of comedian Julian Clary
Julian Clary
Julian Peter McDonald Clary is an English comedian and novelist, known for his deliberately stereotypical camp style, with a heavy reliance on innuendo and double entendre.-Early life and education:...
, who would satirise
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
him in his stage shows and television appearances.
House of Lords reforms (1999)
Under the House of Lords Act 1999House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
the majority of hereditary peers
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
lost the privilege of a seat and right to vote in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Lord Longford, as one upon whom a hereditary peerage (the barony of Pakenham) had been conferred (as opposed to one who had inherited it), was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
so that he could retain his seat in the Lords. He was thus created Baron Pakenham of Cowley, of Cowley in the County of Oxfordshire.
Writings
Known for his interest in Irish history he wrote a number of books on the topic. Peace By Ordeal: An Account from First-Hand Sources of the Negotiation and Signature of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, published in 1935, is arguably his best known work which documents the negotiations of the Anglo-Irish TreatyAnglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
of 1921 between the Irish and British representatives. His account uses primary sources from the time and is widely recognised as the definitive account of this aspect of Irish history. Longford also came to greatly admire Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
and was chosen as the co-author of his official biography Éamon de Valera which was published in 1970 and which was co-written by Thomas P. O'Neill. He also campaigned for decades to have the Hugh Lane
Hugh Lane
Sir Hugh Percy Lane is best known for establishing Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art and for his remarkable contribution to the visual arts in Ireland...
bequest pictures restored to Dublin, resulting in a compromise agreement in 1959.
Personal life
Lord Longford died in August 2001 at the age of 95. He and his wife, who died in October 2002 at the age of 96, had eight children, among them the writers Antonia FraserAntonia Fraser
Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, DBE , née Pakenham, is an Anglo-Irish author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction, best known as Antonia Fraser...
, Rachel Billington, Judith Kazantzis
Judith Kazantzis
-Life:She grew up in East Sussex, the daughter of Lord and Lady Longford, and sister of Antonia Fraser.She took a Modern History degree and on 22 February 1998, married lawyer and writer Irving Weinman; Harry Mathews wrote an Epithalamium for Judith Kazantzis and Irving Weinman. They have two...
, and Thomas Pakenham. His wife Elizabeth was a noted writer herself, her most famous book being Victoria R.I. (1964), a biography of Queen Victoria, published in the US as Born to Succeed. She also wrote a two-volume biography of the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, and a volume of memoirs, The Pebbled Shore. She stood for Parliament as Labour candidate for Cheltenham in the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
.
Titles from birth to death
- The Hon. Francis Pakenham (1905–1945)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Pakenham (1945–1948)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Pakenham, PC (1948–1961)
- The Rt Hon. The Earl of Longford, PC (1961–1971)
- The Rt Hon. The Earl of Longford, KG, PC (1971–2001)
Films about Lord Longford
- Longford (film)Longford (film)Longford is a 2006 drama television film directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan.The film centres on Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley....
(2006): Lord Longford's efforts to allow parole of Moors murderer Myra Hindley are dramatised in a Channel 4 film in which Longford was portrayed by Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
. Also starring in the film were Samantha MortonSamantha MortonSamantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
as Myra Hindley, Lindsay DuncanLindsay DuncanLindsay Vere Duncan, CBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actress. On stage she won two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her performance in Les Liaisons dangereuses and Private Lives , and she starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Her most famous roles on television include:...
as Lady Longford and Andy SerkisAndy SerkisAndrew Clement G. "Andy" Serkis is an English actor, director and author. He is popularly known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he earned several award nominations, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Two Towers...
as Ian Brady.
External links
- "Campaigner Lord Longford dies" - BBC News article dated Friday, 3 August 2001
- "Lord Longford: Aristocratic moral crusader" - BBC News obituary dated Friday, 3 August 2001
- "Tributes to humanist peer" - BBC News article dated Friday, 3 August 2001
- Lord Longford - Guardian obituary by Peter Stanford dated Monday, 6 August 2001
- Announcement of his taking the oath for the first time as Lord Pakenham of Cowley, House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 17 November 1999
- Recognition of his work on the Hugh Lane bequest