Historical Figures: Lord Beaverbrook

William Maxwell Aitken (1879-1964) was born in Maple to William Cuthbert Aitken, a Presbyterian minister and Jane Aitken (nee Noble). Shortly after he was born, in 1880, the family moved to Newcastle, New Brunswick. He attended Harkins Academy and started his first newspaper, the Northshore Leader at age fourteen. It was printed by the Newcastle Weekly Advocate, but he wrote, edited and circulated the paper.
After finishing school, he tried out a variety of professions, before joining the law firm of Tweedle and Bennet. However, when L.G. Tweedle and R.B. Bennet advanced their careers, taking up positions as Governor-General of New Brunswick and Prime Minster of Canada respectively, William left as well. Within two years of leaving Tweedle and Bennet, he began selling insurance, working with John L. Stairs. He then became Stairs’s secretary and an organizer for the Conservative Party.
After becoming a success in the Maritimes, he moved to Montreal. There he amalgamated the Canadian cement companies and made his first million dollars.
He then moved to the United Kingdom, where he purchased newspapers, including the Daily Express, the Evening Standard and The Sunday Express. He also became involved in politics, receiving a baronetcy for his service, as well as the title of “Lord Beaverbrook.” During World War II, he was appointed the Minister of Aircraft Production. He then moved on to other roles as the war progressed.
Shortly after the end of World War II, he left politics and became a benefactor for the University of New Brunswick. He also continued his work as a historian, publishing Men and Power 1917-1918 in 1956 and The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George in 1963. These works built on his earlier success with Politicians and Press and Politicians and the War which were released after World War I. He died in 1964.

Exhibit and photos courtesy of the Enterprise Information Management Services, Office of the City Clerk