Michael Noble, Baron Glenkinglas
Encyclopedia
Michael Antony Cristobal Noble, Baron Glenkinglas PC
(19 March 1913 - 15 May 1984) was a Scottish
Tory politician.
Noble was the youngest son of Sir John Noble, 1st Baronet, and the grandson of Sir Andrew Noble, 1st Baronet, and was educated at Eton College
and Magdalen College, Oxford
. A farmer, he was president of the Black Face Sheep
Breeders' Association and the Highland Cattle
Society. He was an Argyll
County Council
lor and a director of Associated Fisheries.
From a by-election in June 1958 until 1974 he was Member of Parliament
for Argyll. He lost his seat at the February 1974 general election
to Iain MacCormick
, a teacher and son of Scottish National Party
founder member Professor John MacCormick
.
Noble was a Scottish whip
from 1960 and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from 1961. He was Secretary of State for Scotland
from 1962 to 1964 in the governments of Harold Macmillan
and Alec Douglas-Home
, taking over from John Maclay after the Night of the Long Knives
. He returned to government as President of the Board of Trade in 1970 and as Minister for Trade from 1970 to 1972 under Edward Heath
.
As Scottish Secretary, he presided over the last execution in Scotland when Henry John Burnett
was hanged at Craiginches Prison in Aberdeen
on the morning of 15 August 1963 by the hangman Harry Allen for the murder of merchant seaman Thomas Guyan.
On 3 May 1974 Noble was elevated to the peerage as Baron Glenkinglas, of Cairndow in the County of Argyll
.
Although he was a good 25 years younger than the architectural historian Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel, the two had a very friendly feud. Noble is said to have joked that they were "best of enemies."
He died in May 1984, aged 71.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(19 March 1913 - 15 May 1984) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Tory politician.
Noble was the youngest son of Sir John Noble, 1st Baronet, and the grandson of Sir Andrew Noble, 1st Baronet, and was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. A farmer, he was president of the Black Face Sheep
Scottish Blackface
The Scottish Blackface is the most common breed of domestic sheep in the United Kingdom. This tough and adaptable breed is often found in the more exposed locations, such as the Scottish Highlands or roaming on the moors of Dartmoor...
Breeders' Association and the Highland Cattle
Highland cattle
Highland cattle or kyloe are a Scottish breed of beef cattle with long horns and long wavy coats which are coloured black, brindled, red, yellow or dun....
Society. He was an Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
lor and a director of Associated Fisheries.
From a by-election in June 1958 until 1974 he was 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,...
for Argyll. He lost his seat at the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
to Iain MacCormick
Iain MacCormick
Iain Somerled MacDonald MacCormick is a Scottish National Party politician.Educated at the High School of Glasgow and Glasgow University, MacCormick belongs to a family steeped in nationalist politics: his father John MacCormick was one of the founders of the SNP, while his brother Neil was, from...
, a teacher and son of Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
founder member Professor John MacCormick
John MacCormick
John MacDonald MacCormick was a lawyer and advocate of Home Rule in Scotland.-Early life:...
.
Noble was a Scottish whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
from 1960 and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from 1961. He was 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 1962 to 1964 in the governments of 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....
and Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
, taking over from John Maclay after 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...
. He returned to government as President of the Board of Trade in 1970 and as Minister for Trade from 1970 to 1972 under Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
.
As Scottish Secretary, he presided over the last execution in Scotland when Henry John Burnett
Henry John Burnett
Henry John Burnett was the last man to be hanged in Scotland and the first in Aberdeen since 1891. He was tried at the high court in Aberdeen between 23 and 25 July 1963 for the murder of merchant seaman Thomas Guyan...
was hanged at Craiginches Prison in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
on the morning of 15 August 1963 by the hangman Harry Allen for the murder of merchant seaman Thomas Guyan.
On 3 May 1974 Noble was elevated to the peerage as Baron Glenkinglas, of Cairndow in the County of Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
.
Although he was a good 25 years younger than the architectural historian Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel, the two had a very friendly feud. Noble is said to have joked that they were "best of enemies."
He died in May 1984, aged 71.