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William Anstruther-Gray, Baron Kilmany

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Anstruther-Gray in 1931

William John St Clair Anstruther-Gray, Baron Kilmany, MC PC (5 March 1905 – 6 August 1985) was a Scottish Unionist Party politician.

Life

The only son of Col William Anstruther-Gray of Kilmany and Clayre Jessie Tennant, he was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford, England. He served as a Lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards from 1926–30, and with the Shanghai Defence Force in 1927–28.

He was elected as Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) for North Lanarkshire, in Scotland, in 1931, holding the seat until 1945. Until September 1939, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and to Secretary for Overseas Trade, and latterly to Sir John Colville, Secretary of State for Scotland.

In September 1939, he rejoined the Coldstream Guards and served in North Africa, France and Germany with Coldstream Guards and Lothians and Border Horse. He was promoted to the rank of Major in 1942. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1943.

He served as Assistant Postmaster-General from May–July 1945. He contested Berwick and East Lothian in February 1950, and was elected for the seat in 1951, holding it until 1966. He was Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1962–64 (having been Deputy Chairman from 1959–62). He was Chairman of the 1922 Committee from 1964–66.

He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Fife in 1953, and Lord Lieutenant of Fife from 1975–80. He was also the Crown nominee for Scotland on the General Medical Council from 1952–65.

He was created a baronet in 1956,[1] appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1962.

On his retirement from the House of Commons in 1966, he was created a life peer as Baron Kilmany, of Kilmany in the County of Fife.[2] His wife died in 1985, he in August the same year aged 80.

Family

In 1934, Anstruther-Gray married Monica Helen, only child of Geoffrey Lambton, second son of Frederick Lambton, 4th Earl of Durham.

References

  1. ^ "No. 40824". The London Gazette. 6 July 1956. p. 3948.
  2. ^ "No. 44003". The London Gazette. 3 June 1966. p. 6457.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for North Lanarkshire
1931–1945 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Berwick and East Lothian
1951–1966 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the 1922 Committee
1964–1966 		Succeeded by
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baronet
(of Kilmany)
1956–1985 		Extinct
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Fife
1975–1980 		Succeeded by
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