John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel
Encyclopedia
John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel KT
, CH
, CMG
, PC, DL
(26 October 1905 – 17 August 1992) was a British
politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative
Member of Parliament
before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Scotland in the early 1960s.
Lord Muirshiel served as Secretary of State for Scotland
from 1957 to 1962 within Harold MacMillan's Conservative government, having held a number of junior ministerial posts beforehand. In 1964, he was elevated to the House of Lords
.
, and the younger brother of Joseph Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay
. He was educated at Winchester
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, and was bowman
in the victorious Cambridge
boat in the 1927 Boat Race.
(MP) for Montrose Burghs. During the Second World War, he led the British Merchant shipping Mission to Washington, D.C.
In 1945 he briefly served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Minister of Production
. He retained his Montrose seat at the 1945 general election
. During the 1945 to 1951 Labour government, he led the National Liberals in the House of Commons. The Montrose Burghs constituency was abolished for the 1950 general election, and Maclay was instead returned for West Renfrewshire
, a seat he held until 1964. He served under Winston Churchill
Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister of Transport
between October 1951 and May 1952. In 1952 he was admitted to the Privy Council.
Maclay remained out of office until October 1956 when he was appointed Minister of State for the Colonies by Sir Anthony Eden
. When Harold Macmillan
became Prime Minister in January 1957, he was made Secretary of State for Scotland
with a seat in the cabinet. He continued in this post until July 1962, when he was a victim of the "Night of the Long Knives
", when one-third of the Cabinet
lost their ministries. In 1964 Mackay was raised to the peerage as Viscount Muirshiel, of Kilmacolm in the County of Renfrew. He had been made a Companion of Honour in 1962 and was made a Knight of the Thistle
in 1973. From 1967 to 1980 he served as Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire.
near Kilmacolm
in his former West Renfrewshire constituency.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, CH
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, PC, DL
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....
(26 October 1905 – 17 August 1992) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Scotland in the early 1960s.
Lord Muirshiel served as Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
from 1957 to 1962 within Harold MacMillan's Conservative government, having held a number of junior ministerial posts beforehand. In 1964, he was elevated to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Background and education
Maclay was the fifth son of James Maclay, 1st Baron MaclayJames Maclay, 1st Baron Maclay
Joseph Paton Maclay, 1st Baron Maclay PC , known as Sir Joseph Maclay, 1st Baronet, from 1914 to 1922, was a Scottish businessman and public servant....
, and the younger brother of Joseph Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay
Joseph Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay
Joseph Paton Maclay, 2nd Baron Maclay KBE , was a Scottish, banker, shipowner, peer and Liberal politician.-Family and education:...
. He was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, and was bowman
Bow (rowing)
Bow is a term which has multiple meanings within the sport of rowing. It is used to refer to a rower seated in a particular position and to one side of the boat.-Bow:...
in the victorious Cambridge
Cambridge University Boat Club
The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...
boat in the 1927 Boat Race.
Political career
In 1940 Maclay was elected in a wartime by-election as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Montrose Burghs. During the Second World War, he led the British Merchant shipping Mission to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1945 he briefly served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Minister of Production
Minister of Production
The Minister of Production was a British government position that existed during the Second World War, heading the Ministry of Production.Initially the post was called "Minister of War Production" when it was created in February 1942, but the first Minister, Lord Beaverbrook, resigned after only...
. He retained his Montrose seat at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. During the 1945 to 1951 Labour government, he led the National Liberals in the House of Commons. The Montrose Burghs constituency was abolished for the 1950 general election, and Maclay was instead returned for West Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire West (UK Parliament constituency)
West Renfrewshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983 and again from 1997 until 2005...
, a seat he held until 1964. He served under Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
between October 1951 and May 1952. In 1952 he was admitted to the Privy Council.
Maclay remained out of office until October 1956 when he was appointed Minister of State for the Colonies by Sir Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
. When Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
became Prime Minister in January 1957, he was made Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
with a seat in the cabinet. He continued in this post until July 1962, when he was a victim of the "Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives (1962)
The epithet Night of the Long Knives is given to July 13, 1962, when the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan sacked the following members of his Cabinet:*Lord Kilmuir — Lord Chancellor*Selwyn Lloyd — Chancellor of the Exchequer...
", when one-third of the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
lost their ministries. In 1964 Mackay was raised to the peerage as Viscount Muirshiel, of Kilmacolm in the County of Renfrew. He had been made a Companion of Honour in 1962 and was made a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
in 1973. From 1967 to 1980 he served as Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire.
Personal life
Lord Muirshiel married Betty, daughter of Delaval Graham L'Estrange Astley, in 1930. The marriage was childless. She died in June 1974, aged 71. Lord Muirshiel remained a widower until his death in August 1992, aged 86. The viscountcy died with him. He is buried alongside a number of family members including the Barons Maclay in the Mount Zion Church graveyard in Quarrier's VillageQuarrier's Village
Quarrier's Village is a small settlement in the civil parish of Kilmacolm in Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west Central Lowlands of Scotland...
near Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
in his former West Renfrewshire constituency.
Style
- The Hon. John Scott Maclay (1905–1940)
- The Hon. John Scott Maclay MP (1940–1952)
- The Rt. Hon. John Scott Maclay MP (1952–1964)
- The Rt. Hon. John Scott Maclay, Viscount Muirshiel (1964–1992)