Antony Head, 1st Viscount Head

For the actor, see Anthony Head.

The Viscount Head GCMG, CBE, MC, PC
Secretary of State for War
In office 31 October 1951 – 18 October 1956
Monarch	George VI Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Winston Churchill Sir Anthony Eden
Preceded by	John Strachey
Succeeded by	Hon. John Hare
Minister of Defence
In office 18 October 1956 – 9 January 1957
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Sir Anthony Eden
Preceded by	Walter Monckton
Succeeded by	Duncan Sandys
Personal details
Born	19 December 1906 (1906-12-19)
Died	29 March 1983 (1983-03-30)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Lady Dorothea Ashley-Cooper
Alma mater	Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Antony Henry Head, 1st Viscount Head GCMG, CBE, MC, PC (19 December 1906 – 29 March 1983) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and diplomat.

Background and education

Head was the son of Geoffrey Head and Ethel Daisy, daughter of Arthur Flower, and was educated at Eton and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Military career

Head was a career soldier, joining the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars and later the Life Guards, serving through the Second World War and achieving the rank of Brigadier.

Political career

Head was elected Conservative MP for Carshalton in 1945. He served as Secretary of State for War from 1951 to 1956 and as Minister of Defence (with a seat in the cabinet) from 1956 to 1957, in the administrations of Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1951 and in 1960 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Head, of Throope in the County of Wiltshire. He was later High Commissioner to Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1963 to 1966.

Family

Lord Head married Lady Dorothea Louise, daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, on 23 July 1935. They had four children:

• Richard Antony Head, 2nd Viscount Head (b. 27 February 1937)
• Hon. Teresa Mary Head (b. 20 June 1938)
• Hon. Simon Andrew Head (b. 11 November 1944)
• Josephine Head (b. 24 May 1948–9 October 1949)

Lord Head died in March 1983, aged 76, and was succeeded in the viscountcy by his eldest son, Richard.

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Head

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Carshalton 1945–1960	Succeeded by Walter Elliot
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by None	High Commissioner to Nigeria 1960–1963	Succeeded by The Hon. Sir Francis Cumming-Bruce
Preceded by -	High Commissioner to Malaysia 1963–1966	Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by John Strachey	Secretary of State for War 1951–1956	Succeeded by Hon. John Hare
Preceded by Walter Monckton	Minister of Defence 1956–1957	Succeeded by Duncan Sandys
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Viscount Head 1957–1983	Succeeded by Richard Head