Cuthbert Alport, Baron Alport
Encyclopedia
Cuthbert James McCall Alport, Baron Alport (22 March 1912 – 28 October 1998) was a Conservative Party
politician
, Cabinet Minister, and life peer
.
, England
, and graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford
, in 1934. He was a tutor
at Ashridge College
, Little Gaddesden
, Hertfordshire, from 1935 to 1939. During the Second World War, he served in the British Army
as an officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the King's African Rifles
. He was General Staff Officer 1
(GSO 1) of the East Africa Command between 1944 and 1945.
Member of Parliament for the Colchester constituency
, in the 1950 general election
and held the seat until 16 February 1961, when he was created Baron Alport, of Colchester in the County of Essex, a life peerage. On his elevation to the peerage, the Colchester constituency was held by the Tories in a bye-election by Antony Buck
.
Alport held the post of Assistant Postmaster-General between 1955 and 1957. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
between 1957 and 1959. He held the office of Minister of State
for the Commonwealth Relations Office between 1959 and 1961. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor in 1960. He held the office of British High Commissioner
to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
between 1961 and 1963. He was appointed High Steward of Colchester
in 1967 and he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
of Essex
in 1974.
in July 1997
and papers (the Alport Papers) are archived at the University of Essex
library. Additional correspondence with Roy Welensky
is archived at the Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House
, University of Oxford
.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, Cabinet Minister, and life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
.
Early life
"Cub" Alport was educated at Haileybury College, Haileybury, HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, in 1934. He was a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
at Ashridge College
Ashridge
Ashridge is an estate and house in Hertfordshire, England; part of the land stretches into Buckinghamshire and it is close to the Bedfordshire border. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about two miles north of Berkhamsted and twenty miles north west of...
, Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
, Hertfordshire, from 1935 to 1939. During the Second World War, he served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as an officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
. He was General Staff Officer 1
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
(GSO 1) of the East Africa Command between 1944 and 1945.
Political career
Alport was an assistant secretary for the Conservative Party Education Department between 1937 and 1939. He was Director of the Conservative Political Centre between 1945 and 1950. He was elected as the ToryConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament for the Colchester constituency
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, in the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
and held the seat until 16 February 1961, when he was created Baron Alport, of Colchester in the County of Essex, a life peerage. On his elevation to the peerage, the Colchester constituency was held by the Tories in a bye-election by Antony Buck
Philip Antony Fyson Buck
Sir Philip Antony Fyson Buck, QC was a British Conservative politician.A strong supporter of the modernising Conservatism championed by Edward Heath, Buck was appointed Under-Secretary for Defence in 1972...
.
Alport held the post of Assistant Postmaster-General between 1955 and 1957. He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
The Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government from 1947 until 1966. The holder was responsible for assisting the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations in dealing with British relationship with members of the...
between 1957 and 1959. He held the office of Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for the Commonwealth Relations Office between 1959 and 1961. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor in 1960. He held the office of British High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...
between 1961 and 1963. He was appointed High Steward of Colchester
High Steward of Colchester
The High Steward of Colchester is a ceremonial office awarded by Colchester Borough Council, Essex, England.The stewardship was established by royal charter of Charles I dated 9 July 1635...
in 1967 and he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Essex
Lord Lieutenant of Essex
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex. Since 1688, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Essex.*John Petre, 1st Baron Petre*John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford 1558–?...
in 1974.
Published works
- Kingdoms in Partnership (1937)
- Hope in Africa (1952)
- The Sudden Assignment (1965)
Honorary Degrees
Lord Alport was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of EssexUniversity of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
in July 1997
The Alport Papers
Lord Alport's correspondenceCommunication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
and papers (the Alport Papers) are archived at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
library. Additional correspondence with Roy Welensky
Roy Welensky
Sir Raphael "Roy" Welensky, KCMG was a Northern Rhodesian politician and the second and last prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...
is archived at the Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.