John George Stuart Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge, OBE (9 October 1907 8 March 1998) was a British politician and public servant. He was a soldier, farmer, prison reformer, approved school manager, and consumers' champion . Jack Donaldson was the son of the Rev. S. A. Donaldson, sometime Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and Lady Albinia Donaldson (née Hobart-Hampden), the sister of the 7th Earl of Buckinghamshire. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

where he founded the Jazz band called The Eton Outcasts, and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

, and married Frances Lonsdale in 1935. In 1939 he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and served throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, reaching the rank of

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

and being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1943. He was created a life peer as Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge, ''of Kingsbridge in the County of Buckingham'' on 20 November 1967. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the

Northern Ireland Office The Northern Ireland Office (NIO; ga, Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlann Oaffis'') is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for N ...

from 1974 to 1976, and served as Minister for the Arts from 1976 until the end of James Callaghan's government three years later. He left the Labour Party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981, and remained with the Liberal Democrats after the SDP merger with the Liberals. From 1968 to 1971 he was Chairman of the

National Consumer Council National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. His grandson is Fred Deakin of

Lemon Jelly Lemon Jelly is a British electronic music duo from London that formed in 1998 and went on hiatus starting in 2008. Since its inception, the band members have always been Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. Lemon Jelly has been nominated for awards ...

Works

* ''Farming in Britain Today'' (1969) with Frances Donaldson and Derek Barber * ''Jack Donaldson: A Soldier's Letters'' (2017) A posthumous edition of letters written in the Second World War, 1939-45

Portraits of Jack Donaldson

The United Kingdom's National Portrait Gallery holds the following portrait featuring Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge as a sitter: Exhibit number P528: ''John George Stuart Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge and Frances Annesley (née Lonsdale), Lady Donaldson of Kingsbridge'' by

Derry Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda Henry Dermot Ponsonby Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda (born 1937), is a British photographer known professionally as Derry Moore. He inherited the title of Earl of Drogheda from his father, Charles Moore, 11th Earl of Drogheda, The 11th Earl of Drog ...

. Painted in 1992; medium: colour print; measurements: 14 7/8 in. x 12 in. (379 mm x 305 mm). See http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?search=ap&npgno=P528 for more information.

Arms

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donaldson of Kingsbridge, Jack Donaldson, Baron 1907 births 1998 deaths Prison reformers Labour Party (UK) life peers Social Democratic Party (UK) life peers Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers People educated at Eton College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Royal Engineers officers British Army personnel of World War II Officers of the Order of the British Empire Northern Ireland Office junior ministers Life peers created by Elizabeth II