Jack Pease, 1st Baron Gainford

Joseph Albert Pease, 1st Baron Gainford PC JP DL, (17 January 1860 – 15 February 1943) was an English businessman and Liberal politician.

Born in Darlington (a Darlington Pease), the second son of Sir Joseph W. Pease, 1st Baronet, (MP, Hutton Hall Guisborough), he was educated at Tottenham School and at Trinity College, Cambridge. His elder brother was the MP Alfred E. Pease.

In 1886, he married Ethel Havelock-Allan, a daughter of Sir Henry Marshman Havelock-Allan, Bt. and they had one son, Joseph and two daughters, Miriam and Faith (who married Michael Wentworth Beaumont). He served as Mayor of Darlington from 1889 and was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament for Tyneside from 1892–1900, for Saffron Walden from 1901–1910, and for Rotherham from 1910–1916.

He was Private Secretary (unpaid) to John Morley, Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1893-1895, a Junior Opposition Whip, 1897–1905; a Junior Lord of the Treasury, 1905–1908; Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, 1908–1910; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1910–1911; President of the Board of Education, 1911–1915; Postmaster-General, 1916. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1908. He was raised to the peerage in 1917 as Baron Gainford of Headlam.

He served on the Claims Commission in France, 1915, 1917–1920, and in Italy, 1918–1919; Chairman of the British Broadcasting Company Ltd, 1922–1926, Vice-Chairman, 1926–1932; President of Federation of British Industry, 1927–1928.

He was Deputy Chairman of the Durham Coal Owners Association and Vice-Chairman of the Durham District Board (under the Mines Act 1930); Director of Pease and Partners Ltd; and other colliery companies; Chairman of Durham Coke Owners; Director of the County of London Electric Supply Company Ltd; Chairman of South London Electric Supply Company; Chairman of the Tees Fishery Board, and Chairman of the Trustees of the Bowes Museum.