Joseph) Austen Chamberlain (1863-1937) was born in Birmingham and was the elder son of Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914; industrialist, Mayor of Birmingham, Member of Parliament and several times Minister of the Crown). He was also half-brother to Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940; industrialist, Alderman and Lord Mayor of Birmingham, and subsequently MP, Minister of Health, Chancellor of the Exchequer and, finally, Prime Minister). Austen Chamberlain's Parliamentary career spanned 45 years in all, from 1892 to 1937, and he was deeply involved in party, national and international politics as the supporter of his father, as a leader in the Conservative/Unionist party and as elder statesman. The offices he held include: Junior Whip, 1893; Civil Lord of the Admiralty, 1895-1900; Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1900-1902; Postmaster General, 1902-1903; Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1903-1905 and 1919-1921; Secretary of State for India 1915-1917; Leader of the House and Lord Privy Seal, 1921-1922; Foreign Secretary, 1924-1929, and First Lord of the Admiralty, 1931. Chamberlain was made a knight in 1925 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.
Reference: University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department, Online Archive Catalogue (http://calm.bham.ac.uk/DServeA/). Accessed May 2002.
From the guide to the Letters Additional of Austen Chamberlain, 1894-[199-], (University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department)
