Maurice Macmillan

Maurice Victor Macmillan, Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden, PC (27 January 1921 – 10 March 1984), was a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament. He was the only son of Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963.

The Right Honourable Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden
Macmillan in 1957
Ministerial offices Paymaster General In office 2 December 1973 – 4 March 1974 Prime Minister Edward Heath Preceded by The Viscount Eccles Succeeded by Edmund Dell Secretary of State for Employment In office 7 April 1972 – 2 December 1973 Prime Minister Edward Heath Preceded by Robert Carr Succeeded by William Whitelaw Chief Secretary to the Treasury In office 23 June 1970 – 7 April 1972 Prime Minister Edward Heath Preceded by Jack Diamond Succeeded by Patrick Jenkin
Member of Parliament for South West Surrey
In office 9 June 1983 – 10 March 1984
Preceded by	new constituency
Succeeded by	Virginia Bottomley
Member of Parliament for Farnham
In office 31 March 1966 – 13 May 1983
Preceded by	Godfrey Nicholson
Succeeded by	constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Halifax
In office 26 May 1955 – 25 September 1964
Preceded by	Dryden Brook
Succeeded by	Shirley Summerskill
Personal details
Born	(1921-01-27)27 January 1921 Westminster, London, England
Died	10 March 1984(1984-03-10) (aged 63) Westminster, London, England
Spouse	Katherine Ormsby-Gore ​ ​ (m. 1942)​
Children	5, including: Alexander Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton
Parents	Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton Lady Dorothy Cavendish
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Background and education

Macmillan was the only son of Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, and Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He served with the Sussex Yeomanry in Europe in the Second World War. Like his father, he was chairman of Macmillan Publishers, as well as a director of two news agencies.

Political career

Macmillan contested Seaham at the 1945 election, Lincoln in 1951 and Wakefield at a 1954 by-election. He served on Kensington Borough Council from 1949 to 1953, then was elected MP for Halifax at the 1955 general election but lost this seat in 1964. He was then elected for Farnham in 1966. This latter seat became South West Surrey at the 1983 election. He served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury (1963–64) under Alec Douglas-Home, and as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1970–72), Secretary of State for Employment (1972–73) and Paymaster General (1973–74) under Edward Heath. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1972.

Family

Macmillan married the Honourable Katharine Ormsby-Gore, daughter of William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech, on 22 August 1942. They had four sons and a daughter:

• Alexander Daniel Alan Macmillan, 2nd Earl of Stockton (born 10 October 1943)
• Hon. Joshua Edward Andrew Macmillan (1945–1965)
• Hon. Adam Julian Robert Macmillan (1948–2016)^[1]
• Hon. Rachel Mary Georgia Macmillan (1955–1987)^[2]
• Hon. David Maurice Benjamin Macmillan (born 1957); married English fashion designer Arabella Pollen in 1995 and has issue.

Macmillan was for a time the owner of Highgrove House, which he sold to the Prince of Wales in 1980. Upon his father's elevation to the peerage as Earl of Stockton on 24 February 1984,^[3] Macmillan acquired the courtesy title Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden. He held the title for just 16 days, dying in Westminster, London, on 10 March 1984, following a heart operation. He was 63. His father outlived him by almost three years, dying in December 1986 at the age of 92.^[4]

Macmillan's son Alexander has held the title 2nd Earl of Stockton since the death of the first Earl.

Arms

Coat of arms of Maurice Macmillan

Crest [Upon a helm with a wreath Azure and Sable] within sprigs of oak fructed Or a dexter cubit Arm and a sinister Arm embowed both proper the dexter hand gauntleted Or and with the other brandishing a two handed Sword proper hilt pommel and quillons Sable. Escutcheon Argent a chief Or overall between three open books Proper edged Or and bound Azure those in chief inscribed respectively in letters Sable "Miseres" and "Discere" and that in base also in letters Sable inscribed "Succo" and as many mullets Azure a lion rampant Sable.

References

1. "Adam Macmillan Obituary (2016) – London, City of London – the Times". Legacy.com.
2. "Rachel Macmillan Died After Mugging, Her Brother Says". AP News. 24 April 1987. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
3. "No. 49660". The London Gazette. 29 February 1984. p. 2951.
4. "1986: Harold Macmillan dies". Retrieved 7 July 2021.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Dryden Brook	Member of Parliament for Halifax 1955–1964	Succeeded by Dr Shirley Summerskill
Preceded by Godfrey Nicholson	Member of Parliament for Farnham 1966–1983	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for South West Surrey 1983–1984	Succeeded by Virginia Bottomley
Political offices
Preceded by John Diamond	Chief Secretary to the Treasury 1970–1972	Succeeded by Patrick Jenkin
Preceded by Robert Carr	Secretary of State for Employment 1972–1973	Succeeded by William Whitelaw
Preceded by The Viscount Eccles	Paymaster General 1973–1974	Succeeded by Edmund Dell