Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton

Frederick James Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton, CH, PC was an English businessman, statesman and politician. A successful department store owner and wartime Minister of Food, Lord Woolton became Conservative Party Chairman from 1946 to 1955. He rebuilt the local organisations with an emphasis on membership, money and a unified national propaganda appeal on critical issues. To broaden the base of potential candidates, the national party provided financial aid to candidates, and assisted the local organisations in raising local money. Woolton also proposed changing the name of the party to the Union Party, but when that suggestion fell on deaf ears he instead emphasised a rhetoric that characterised opponents as Socialist rather than Labour. He is given significant credit for the Conservative victory in 1951, their first since 1935.

Lord Woolton was born at 163 West Park Street in Ordsall, Salford, Lancashire, in 1883 to Thomas Robert Marquis and his wife, Margaret Marquis ne Ormerod. Educated at Manchester Grammar School and the University of Manchester , Woolton was an active member of the Unitarian Church. He was active in social work in Liverpool

Source: Wikipedia