Walter Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley
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Walter Turner Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, GCVO, KCMG, MC, PC (January 17, 1891 – January 9, 1965) was a British politician.
Born in Plaxtol, Kent, Monckton was educated at Harrow School and Balliol College, Oxford. Whilst at Oxford, he played a first-class cricket match for the Combined Universities in 1911.
A lawyer, Monckton served as advisor to Edward VIII during the abdication crisis, having been his Attorney-General since 1932. He was Recorder of Hythe from 1930 to 1937.
He worked in propaganda and information during World War II and became Solicitor General in Winston Churchill's 1945 caretaker government, although he refused to join the Conservative Party. He finally joined after the war and became a Member of Parliament for Bristol West at a 1951 by-election. Churchill soon appointed him to the cabinet as Minister of Labour and National Service, in which post he served from 1951 to 1955. He was Anthony Eden's Minister of Defence 1955–1956, but was the only cabinet minister to oppose his Suez policy, and was moved to Paymaster-General 1956–1957.
Monckton was made Viscount Monckton of Brenchley in 1957. He was chairman of Midland Bank (1957–1964), President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (1956–1957), President of Surrey County Cricket Club (1950–1952 and 1959–1965), Chairman of the Iraq Petroleum Company (1958), Chairman of the Advisory Commission on Central Africa (1960), and Chancellor of the University of Sussex (1961–1965).
He was succeeded by his son Gilbert on his death in 1965 at the age of 74.
[edit] References
- The life of Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, Frederick Winston Furneaux-Smith, (1969)
- Cricinfo profile
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Oliver Stanley |
Member of Parliament for Bristol West 1951–1957 |
Succeeded by Robert Cooke |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by David Maxwell Fyfe |
Solicitor General for England and Wales May 1945–July 1945 |
Succeeded by Frank Soskice |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Selwyn Lloyd |
Minister of Defence 1955–1956 |
Succeeded by Anthony Head |
| Vacant
Title last held by
The Earl of Selkirk |
Paymaster-General 1956–1957 |
Succeeded by Reginald Maudling |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New Creation |
Viscount Monckton of Brenchley 1957–1965 |
Succeeded by Gilbert Monckton |
