James Stuart, 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Viscount Stuart of Findhorn
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Photograph of Stuart by Walter Stoneman, taken August 1943.
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| Secretary of State for Scotland | |
| In office 30 October 1951 – 9 January 1957 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill Sir Anthony Eden |
| Preceded by | Hector McNeil |
| Succeeded by | John Maclay |
| Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury |
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| In office 14 January 1941 – 26 July 1945 Serving with Charles Edwards and William Whiteley
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| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Charles Edwards |
| Succeeded by | William Whiteley |
| Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | |
| In office 1 May 1935 – 14 January 1941 |
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| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Lambert Ward |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Dugdale |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 20 November 1959 – 20 February 1971 Hereditary Peerage |
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| Preceded by | Peerage created |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Viscount Stuart of Findhorn |
| Member of Parliament for Moray and Nairn |
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| In office 6 December 1923 – 8 October 1959 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Maule Guthrie |
| Succeeded by | Gordon Campbell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 February 1897 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 20 February 1971 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Unionist |
| Spouse |
Lady Rachel Cavendish
(m. 1923) |
| Children | 3 |
James Gray Stuart, 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn (born February 9, 1897 – died February 20, 1971) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Unionist Party in Scotland. Stuart served in Winston Churchill's government during World War II. He was later the Secretary of State for Scotland. This job meant he was in charge of many things in Scotland. In 1959, he was given the special title of Viscount Stuart of Findhorn.
Contents
Early Life and Family
James Stuart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the youngest of three sons. His father was Morton Stuart, the 17th Earl of Moray. His mother was Edith Douglas Palmer.
A Life of Service
Military Hero
James Stuart joined the army during World War I. He became a Captain in the Royal Scots regiment. He showed great bravery during the war. For his actions, he received the Military Cross award twice in 1917.
After the war, in 1920, he worked for Prince Albert (who later became King George VI). He was an Equerry, which is like a personal assistant. He received another award, the Royal Victorian Order, in 1922.
Starting in Politics
In 1923, James Stuart became a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the area of Moray and Nairn. He held this position for a very long time, until 1959.
From 1935 to 1941, he worked as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. This role involved helping to manage the country's money. He worked under several Prime Ministers during this time. These included Ramsay MacDonald, Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain, and Winston Churchill. In 1939, he joined the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.
Key Roles in Government
In 1941, Winston Churchill gave James Stuart a very important job. He became the joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. This role also meant he was the Government Chief Whip. The Chief Whip makes sure that members of their political party vote in the way the party wants. He kept this job until 1945. After that, he continued as the Conservative Chief Whip until 1948.
From 1950 to 1962, he was the Chairman of the Scottish Unionist Party. This showed his strong leadership within his party.
When the Conservatives won the election in 1951, Churchill made James Stuart the Secretary of State for Scotland. This was a very senior role. He was in charge of many government matters in Scotland. He stayed in this job until 1957. For the last two years, he worked under Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. In 1957, he was given another special award, the Companion of Honour.
On November 20, 1959, he was given a special title. He became Viscount Stuart of Findhorn. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords.
Later Life and Legacy
His Family
Lord Stuart of Findhorn married Lady Rachel Cavendish in 1923. Her father was the 9th Duke of Devonshire. Lady Rachel was also the sister of Lady Dorothy Cavendish. Dorothy was married to Harold Macmillan, who later became a Prime Minister.
Before his marriage, James Stuart was known to have been interested in Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She later married Prince Albert, who became King George VI.
Lord and Lady Stuart had three children. They had two sons and one daughter.
- David, who became the 2nd Viscount Stuart of Findhorn (1924-1999)
- John, a Royal Navy lieutenant (1925-1990)
- Jean (Mrs Michael Ritchie) born in 1932.
Lord Stuart passed away in February 1971 when he was 74 years old. His eldest son, David, took over his title. Lady Stuart of Findhorn died in October 1977.
Images for kids
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The coronet of a British Viscount.
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The coat of arms of the Viscount Stuart of Findhorn.
