Robert Hutchison, 1st Baron Hutchison of Montrose
Encyclopedia
Major-General Robert Hutchison, 1st Baron Hutchison of Montrose KCMG
, CB
, DSO
, PC
(5 September 1873 – 13 June 1950) was a Scottish soldier and Liberal
politician.
, Fife
. His younger brother Sir Balfour Oliphant Hutchison (1889–1967) was a Lieutenant-General in the British Army.
in 1900 and served in South Africa, during the Second Boer War
. He was promoted to Captain with the 11th Hussars
in 1905 and Major with the 4th Dragoon Guards in 1912. He was a General Staff Officer, 3rd Grade, from 1912–1914, and promoted to 2nd Grade in 1914. He served in World War I
as General Staff Officer 1st Grade, 1915–1917; temporary Major-General and Director of Organisation at the War Office
from May 1917-1919; DAG 1919. He was Mentioned in Despatches six times, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1915, appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1918, and knighted via Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1919. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre
, the Order of the Crown of Italy
), the Légion d'honneur
, and the American Distinguished Service Medal
. He retired in 1923.
Member of Parliament
for Kirkcaldy Burghs
from 1922 to 1923, Liberal member for Montrose Burghs from 1924 to 1931 and Liberal National
member for that constituency from 1931 to 1932. He served as Scottish National Liberal Whip in 1923, as a Liberal Whip from 1924 to 1926 and as Chief Liberal Whip from 1926 to 1930. On his retirement from the House of Commons in 1932, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Hutchison of Montrose, of Kirkcaldy in the County of Fife. He later served under Stanley Baldwin
and Neville Chamberlain
as Paymaster-General
from 1935 to 1938 and was appointed a Privy Counsellor
in 1937.
Apart from his military and political careers he was a director of the National Bank of Australasia, Phœnix Assurance Co., and other business interests.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(5 September 1873 – 13 June 1950) was a Scottish soldier and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Background
Hutchison was the son of Alexander Hutchison, of Braehead, KirkcaldyKirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. His younger brother Sir Balfour Oliphant Hutchison (1889–1967) was a Lieutenant-General in the British Army.
Military career
Hutchison joined the 7th Dragoon GuardsDragoon guards
Dragoon Guards was the designation used to refer to certain heavy cavalry regiments in the British Army from the 18th century onwards. While the Prussian and Russian armies of the same period included dragoon regiments amongst their respective Imperial Guards, different titles were applied to these...
in 1900 and served in South Africa, during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He was promoted to Captain with the 11th Hussars
11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
in 1905 and Major with the 4th Dragoon Guards in 1912. He was a General Staff Officer, 3rd Grade, from 1912–1914, and promoted to 2nd Grade in 1914. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as General Staff Officer 1st Grade, 1915–1917; temporary Major-General and Director of Organisation at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
from May 1917-1919; DAG 1919. He was Mentioned in Despatches six times, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1915, appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1918, and knighted via Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1919. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
), the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, and the American Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
. He retired in 1923.
Political career
Hutchison was National LiberalNational Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Kirkcaldy Burghs
Kirkcaldy Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Kirkcaldy Burghs was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1974. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system...
from 1922 to 1923, Liberal member for Montrose Burghs from 1924 to 1931 and Liberal National
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
member for that constituency from 1931 to 1932. He served as Scottish National Liberal Whip in 1923, as a Liberal Whip from 1924 to 1926 and as Chief Liberal Whip from 1926 to 1930. On his retirement from the House of Commons in 1932, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Hutchison of Montrose, of Kirkcaldy in the County of Fife. He later served under Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
and Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
as Paymaster-General
Paymaster-General
HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. The Paymaster General is in charge of the Office of HM Paymaster General , which held accounts at the Bank of England on behalf of Government departments and selected other public bodies...
from 1935 to 1938 and was appointed a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1937.
Apart from his military and political careers he was a director of the National Bank of Australasia, Phœnix Assurance Co., and other business interests.