Charles Monck, 4th Viscount Monck

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Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck (October 10, 1819 – November 29, 1894) was the last Governor General of the Province of Canada and the first Governor General of Canada after Canadian Confederation. Prior to Confederation he was concurrently Lieutenant Governor of both Canada West and Canada East.

Prior to being appointed as Governor General of Canada, Charles Stanley Monck graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with a degree in law and in 1852 he was elected to the British House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. In 1844, he married his cousin Lady Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck and they had seven children, four of whom lived to adulthood. He succeeded his father in his Irish titles as 4th Viscount Monck on April 20, 1849, and in 1866 he was created a peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Monck. Lord Monck was a Lord of the Treasury in the Palmerston government between 1855 and 1858.

Lord Monck served as the Governor of the province of Canada and the Governor General of British North America from 1861 to 1867. Lord Monck worked hard to build Confederation. His efforts to unite and stabilize the young country were recognized with his appointment to the position of Canada's first Governor General in 1867.

In 1861, when Lord Monck first arrived in his official post, there were simmering tensions between Canada and the United States to the south. Then, 20 days before he took office on November 28, the "Trent Affair" erupted – a diplomatic crisis between Britain and the United States government that threatened to use Canada as its battleground – and war seemed inevitable. In the course of his term, Lord Monck used his influence to diffuse the explosive potential not only of this crisis, but of many others to follow.

Lord Monck's skill as a diplomat in Canadian-American relations was matched by his ability in promoting Confederation. He helped build "The Great Coalition", the consolidation of the Reform and Conservative parties that was key to the colonies' pursuit of federalism. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, he was a tireless promoter of unity and played a leading role in the preparations for a federal union.

In a visit to the new capital of Ottawa in 1864, Lord Monck saw Rideau Hall, which became the Governor General's residence, and was purchased by the Government of Canada from the MacKay estate in 1868 for $82,000. Before living in Ottawa, the Moncks had resided at Spencerwood, near Quebec City. However, even after moving to Rideau Hall, getting to the heart of Ottawa was still no easy matter. The battered condition of the roads often resulted in Lord Monck travelling to Parliament by canopied boat up the Ottawa River.

Lady Monck loved horticulture and made considerable improvements to the grounds of the official residence.

Viscount Monck was a private man who enjoyed the company of family and close friends. Those who knew him well spoke of his courtesy, kindness and wit. "I like him amazingly", wrote John A. Macdonald of Monck, "and shall be very sorry when he leaves, as he has been a very prudent and efficient administrator of public affairs."

When his term of office ended on November 14, 1868, he returned directly to Ireland. He served as Lord Lieutenant of County Dublin from 1874 to 1892. Lady Monck died on June 16, 1892, and Lord Monck on November 29, 1894.

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• http://www.gg.ca

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Political offices
Preceded by The Lord Alfred Hervey Lord Elcho	Junior Lord of the Treasury 1855–1858	Succeeded by The Lord Henry Lennox Thomas Edward Taylor Henry Whitmore
Preceded by Sir Edmund Walker Head	Governor General of British North America 1861 – 1867	Succeeded by The Lord Lisgar
	Captain General and Governor in Chief of Canada 1861–1867	Succeeded by Position Abolished
	Lieutenant Governor of Canada West 1861–1867	Succeeded by Henry William Stisted
	Lieutenant Governor of Canada East 1861–1867	Succeeded by Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau
Honorary Titles
Preceded by The Earl of Howth	Lord Lieutenant of Dublin 1874–1892	Succeeded by Ion Hamilton
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir George Staunton, Bt	Member of Parliament for Portsmouth 1852–1857	Succeeded by Sir James Dalrymple-Horn-Elphinstone, Bt
Preceded by Charles Monck	Viscount Monck 1849–1894	Succeeded by Henry Monck
Preceded by New creation	Baron Monck 1866–1894

	Governors General of Canada
Monck | Lisgar | Dufferin | Lorne | Lansdowne | Stanley | Aberdeen | Minto | Grey | Connaught | Devonshire | Byng | Willingdon | Bessborough | Tweedsmuir | Athlone | Alexander | Massey | Vanier | Michener | Léger | Schreyer | Sauvé | Hnatyshyn | LeBlanc | Clarkson | Jean

	Lieutenant-Governors of Ontario
Post-Confederation (1867-present) Stisted | Howland | Crawford | D.A. Macdonald | J.B. Robinson | Campbell | Kirkpatrick | Gzowski | Mowat | Clark | Gibson | Hendrie | Clarke | Cockshutt | Ross | Mulock | H.A. Bruce | Matthews | Lawson | Breithaupt | MacKay | Rowe | W.R. Macdonald | McGibbon | Aird | Alexander | Jackman | Weston | Bartleman Canada West (1841-1866) Clitherow | Jackson | Bagot | Metcalfe | Cathcart | J. Bruce | E.W. Head | Monck Upper Canada (1791-1841) Simcoe | Russell | Hunter | Grant | Gore | Brock | Sheaffe | de Rottenburg | Drummond | Murray | F.P. Robinson | Smith | Maitland | Colborne | F.B. Head | Arthur | Thomson