Ronald McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Cushendun PC
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 19 October 1927 – 4 June 1929
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	The Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
Succeeded by	Sir Oswald Mosley
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
In office 5 November 1925 – 1 November 1927
Preceded by	Walter Guinness
Succeeded by	Arthur Samuel
Parliamentary Representation Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal In office November 1927 – 12 October 1934 Hereditary peerage Member of Parliament for Canterbury In office 14 December 1918 – 4 November 1927 Preceded by George Knox Anderson Succeeded by William Wayland Member of Parliament for St Augustine's In office 7 July 1911 – 25 November 1918 Preceded by Aretas Akers-Douglas Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	(1861-04-30)30 April 1861 Ulster, Ireland
Died	12 October 1934(1934-10-12) (aged 73) Cushendun, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Political party	Unionist

Ronald John McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun, also known as Lord Cushendun, was an important British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He was born on April 30, 1861, and passed away on October 12, 1934.

Early Life and Education

Ronald McNeill was born in Ulster, which is a part of Ireland. His father, Edmund McNeill, was a local official. He was a Deputy Lieutenant (a representative of the Crown) and a Justice of the Peace (someone who helps keep law and order).

Ronald went to Harrow School, a famous school in England. After that, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford University. He finished his studies there in 1886.

In 1888, he became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer. He also worked as an editor for a newspaper called The St James's Gazette from 1900 to 1904. Later, he helped edit the Encyclopædia Britannica from 1906 to 1910.

Becoming a Politician

Ronald McNeill tried several times to become a Member of Parliament (MP). This means he wanted to be elected to the British Parliament. He ran for election in different areas but didn't win at first.

In 1911, he was finally elected as an MP for the St Augustine's area in Kent. He was part of the Unionist Party. Seven years later, in 1918, he became the MP for Canterbury.

Important Government Roles

Ronald McNeill held several important jobs in the government. In 1922, he became the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This role meant he helped the main Foreign Secretary with international relations. He held this job until 1925, with a short break in 1924 when a different political party was in power.

After that, he served as the Financial Secretary to the Treasury for two years. This job involved managing the country's money. In 1927, he was given an even bigger role: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This position meant he was part of the government's main decision-making group, called the Cabinet.

In November 1927, Ronald McNeill was given a special title. He became a Baron, which is a type of noble title. He was known as The Baron Cushendun, named after the village of Cushendun in County Antrim. He also became a member of the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the King.

In 1928, Lord Cushendun acted as the Foreign Secretary sometimes. He also represented Britain twice at the League of Nations. This was an international group that tried to keep peace in the world. He even signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact in August 1928. This agreement was an attempt to stop wars. He left his government jobs in 1929.

His Home in Cushendun

Glenmona House, Lord Cushendun's home in Cushendun.

From 1910, when he wasn't in London, Lord Cushendun lived at Glenmona House. This house was in Cushendun, a village on the coast in County Antrim. He later chose this village for his noble title.

In 1922, the original Glenmona House was damaged by fire. A new house was built in its place. It was designed by a famous architect named Clough Williams-Ellis. The village of Cushendun also has other buildings designed by Williams-Ellis. These were built to remember Lord Cushendun's first wife, Maud, who passed away in 1925.

His Family Life

In 1884, Ronald McNeill married Elizabeth Maud Bolitho. She was from Cornwall, a region in England. They had three daughters together: Esther Rose, Loveday Violet, and Mary Morvenna Bolitho.

After Elizabeth passed away in 1925, he married Catherine Sydney Louisa Margesson in 1930. She lived longer than him, passing away in 1939. Lord Cushendun died in Cushendun in October 1934, when he was 73 years old. Because he had no sons, his noble title, the barony, ended when he died.