Knox Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel Knox Cunningham, 1st Baronet, QC
(3 April 1909 - 29 July 1976) was a Northern Irish Barrister, businessman and politician. As an Ulster Unionist
politician at a time when the Unionists were part of the Conservative Party
, he was also a significant figure in United Kingdom
politics as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Harold Macmillan
. His nephew was Sir Josias Cunningham
.
, and his older brother was James Glencairn Cunningham
. He was sent to the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
, and then to Fettes College
in Edinburgh
. He then won a place at Clare College
, Cambridge
- where he was heavy-weight boxing champion.
From 1931 Cunningham went into business in Northern Ireland
. He married Dorothy Enid Riley JP
on 2 July 1935. Later in the 1930s, Cunningham studied law and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple
in 1939. During the Second World War he served in the Scots Guards
although he continued his legal studies, and called to the Bar
in Northern Ireland in 1942. He fought the Belfast West
byelection in 1943 and the same seat in the 1945 general election
.
After the war Cunningham mainly lived in Orpington
, although he retained membership of the Ulster Unionist Council. His religious faith led him to be involved with the World Alliance of YMCA
s from 1947, and he was Chairman of the National Council of the YMCA
in 1949. In 1954 he was elected to Orpington Urban District Council.
, Cunningham was chosen as the new Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim
. He was a delegate to the Council of Europe
and Western European Union
Parliamentary Assembly from 1956 to 1959. He also served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Jocelyn Simon, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
, from 1958. In 1959 he was made a Queen's Counsel
.
After the 1959 general election
, Cunningham was picked by Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan
as his Parliamentary Private Secretary
, responsible for the Prime Minister's relations with backbench Conservative
MPs. He was also a member of the National Executive of the Conservative and Unionist Party
. When Macmillan resigned, he awarded Cunningham a Baronet
cy in his resignation honours
.
, through the rest of the 1960s, but decided to retire at the 1970 general election
. He was Master of the Drapers Company in 1973-74.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(3 April 1909 - 29 July 1976) was a Northern Irish Barrister, businessman and politician. As an Ulster Unionist
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
politician at a time when the Unionists were part of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, he was also a significant figure in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politics as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
. His nephew was Sir Josias Cunningham
Josias Cunningham
Sir Josias Cunningham, DL was a Northern Irish stock broker, farmer and politician.-Early life:Josias Cunningham, known as "Joe", the grandson of Samuel Cunningham, was born into a well-off family of stock brokers, the family firm being...
.
Early career
Cunningham was from an Ulster family. His father was Samuel CunninghamSamuel Cunningham
Samuel Cunningham PC was a Northern Irish businessman, stockbroker and politician.Cunningham was born at Fernhill House, Glencairn, Belfast, and educated at Belfast Academy and at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh...
, and his older brother was James Glencairn Cunningham
James Glencairn Cunningham
James Glencairn Cunningham was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Cunningham was from an Ulster family; his father was Samuel Cunningham, and his younger brother was Knox Cunningham. He was sent to the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and then to Fettes College in Edinburgh...
. He was sent to the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
, and then to Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He then won a place at Clare College
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- where he was heavy-weight boxing champion.
From 1931 Cunningham went into business in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He married Dorothy Enid Riley JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
on 2 July 1935. Later in the 1930s, Cunningham studied law and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1939. During the Second World War he served in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
although he continued his legal studies, and called to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in Northern Ireland in 1942. He fought the Belfast West
Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
byelection in 1943 and the same seat in the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
.
After the war Cunningham mainly lived in Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, although he retained membership of the Ulster Unionist Council. His religious faith led him to be involved with the World Alliance of YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
s from 1947, and he was Chairman of the National Council of the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in 1949. In 1954 he was elected to Orpington Urban District Council.
Parliament
In the 1955 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, Cunningham was chosen as the new Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim
South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
South Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions of the former Antrim constituency...
. He was a delegate to the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and Western European Union
Western European Union
The Western European Union was an international organisation tasked with implementing the Modified Treaty of Brussels , an amended version of the original 1948 Treaty of Brussels...
Parliamentary Assembly from 1956 to 1959. He also served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Jocelyn Simon, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
, from 1958. In 1959 he was made a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
After the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, Cunningham was picked by Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
as his Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
, responsible for the Prime Minister's relations with backbench Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPs. He was also a member of the National Executive of the Conservative and Unionist Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. When Macmillan resigned, he awarded Cunningham a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy in his resignation honours
1963 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours
The 1963 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours were officially announced in the London Gazette of 22 October 1963 and marked the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.-Barons:*The Honourable John Edward Reginald Wyndham, MBE-Baronetcies:...
.
Post-Parliamentary career
Cunningham remained on the backbenches, known as one to the right of Ulster Unionism and a friend of Ian PaisleyIan Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
, through the rest of the 1960s, but decided to retire at the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
. He was Master of the Drapers Company in 1973-74.
Sources
- M. Stenton and S. Lees, Who's Who of British MPs, vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981).