Victor Alexander George Anthony Warrender, 1st Baron Bruntisfield (23 June 1899 – 14 January 1993), known as Sir Victor Warrender, Bt, between 1917 and 1942, was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. He held minor political office between 1928 and 1945, notably as

Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty also known as the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Board of Admiralty was a position on the Board of Admiralty and a civil officer of the British Royal Navy. It was usually ...

from 1940 to 1945 in

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

's war-time coalition government. In 1942 he was ennobled as Baron Bruntisfield. He is also said to be the first politician

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

looked up to before beginning her career in politics.

Background and education

Warrender was the eldest son of Vice-Admiral

Sir George Warrender, 7th Baronet Vice-Admiral Sir George John Scott Warrender of Lochend, 7th Baronet, (31 July 1860 – 8 January 1917) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy during the First World War. Early career Warrender was the son of Sir George Warrender, 6th Baronet ...

, by Lady Ethel Maud Ashley-Cooper, daughter of

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury Bt DL (27 June 1831 – 13 April 1886), styled Lord Ashley between 1851 and 1885, was a British peer. He was the son of The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. Career He was commissioned a cornet in the ...

. He was

baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

with

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

as one of his

godparent In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelon ...

s and was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

. His younger brother was the actor

Harold Warrender Harold John Warrender (15 November 1903 – 6 May 1953) was a British stage, film and television actor, and radio presenter. His father was Sir George Warrender, 7th Baronet. His mother was Lady Ethel Maud Ashley Cooper, a singer and patro ...

. He served as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

Political career

Warrender was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...

in 1923, a seat he held until 1942. He was

Parliamentary Private Secretary A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...

to the

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1858 and 1937 for India(and Burma by extension), and for India and Burma from 193 ...

, Lord Winterton, from 1924 to 1928 and entered the government as an Assistant Government Whip under

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, (3 August 186714 December 1947) was a British Conservative Party politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, ...

in 1928, a post he held until the government fell in 1929. He was appointed a

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...

(government

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

) in 1931 under

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first who belonged to the Labour Party, leading minority Labour governments for nine months in 1924 ...

, was promoted to Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in 1932 and to

Comptroller of the Household The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the British royal household, nominally the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department after the Treasurer of the Household. The Comptroller was an ''ex officio'' member of t ...

in May 1935. After Baldwin became prime minister for the third time in June 1935, Warrender was made

. Then in November 1935 he exchanged this office for that of

Financial Secretary to the War Office The Financial Secretary to the War Office and for certain periods known as the Finance Member of the Army Council, was a junior ministerial office of the British government established in 1870. In May 1947 the office was unified with that of the ...

. He continued in this post when

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...

became prime minister in 1937. When Chamberlain reshuffled his government in early April 1940, Warrender once again became Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. He retained this office when

became prime minister in May 1940, and continued in it until Churchill resigned in July 1945. On 10 March 1942 Warrender was elevated to the peerage as Baron Bruntisfield, of Boroughmuir in the City of Edinburgh.

Family

Lord Bruntisfield married Dorothy Rawson (d. 1975), daughter of Col

Richard Hamilton Rawson Colonel Richard Hamilton Rawson, DL, JP (21 February 1863 – 11 October 1918) was a British Army officer and later a Conservative Party and National Party politician. Personal life Rawson was born in Aigburth, Lancashire, the son of Phili ...

, MP for

Reigate Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earlie ...

, on 1 June 1920. They had three children: *

John Warrender, 2nd Baron Bruntisfield John Robert Warrender, 2nd Baron Bruntisfield, OBE MC TD (7 February 1921 – 14 July 2007) was a Scottish soldier, farmer and Conservative politician. Warrender was born in Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of Sir Victor Warrender, 8th Baron ...

(7 February 1921 – 14 July 2007) * Simon George Warrender (11 August 1922 – 8 May 2011), married Pamela Myer – built Bruntisfield House Melbourne and had issue – Edwina Jane Maitland (11 Dec. 1951–), Alicia Maude Grisel (30 Mar. 1953–), Alexander Simon Victor Shaftsbury (14 June 1955 – 23 August 1976 / Member Falls Creek Ski Patrol), Simon George Norman Angus Hamilton Warrender (13 June 1962–) *Robin Hugh Warrender (24 December 1927 – 8 April 2004), married Gillian ("Gilly") Elizabeth Rossiter, daughter of Leonard and Elsie Rose (née Oppenheimer) Rossiter. They had three children, Carolyn Robin Warrender, Annabel Rose Warrender and Hugh Mark Warrender. Lord and Lady Bruntisfield were divorced in 1945. Lady Bruntisfield was later invested as an Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (O.St.J.). She died in July 1975. Lord Bruntisfield married secondly, Tania, daughter of Dr Michael Kolin, on 22 June 1948. They had two children: *Anthony Michael Warrender (b. 17 July 1950), married (1) Christine Semenenko, (2) Patricia Connors and had issue. *Victoria Isabella Warrender (b. 27 March 1952), married

Hugh Mackay, 14th Lord Reay Hugh William Mackay, 14th Lord Reay, Baron Mackay (19 July 1937 – 10 May 2013), was a British politician and Conservative member of the House of Lords. He was the only male Lord of Parliament to sit in the House of Lords following the abolit ...

as his second wife on 20 June 1980 and has issue, two daughters. Lord Bruntisfield died in January 1993, aged 93, and was succeeded by his eldest son, John. Lady Bruntisfield died in June 2007.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruntisfield, Victor Warrender, 1st Baron 1899 births 1993 deaths Admiralty personnel of World War II British Army personnel of World War I Warrender Grenadier Guards officers Warrender, Victor, 1st Baron Bruntisfield Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Churchill wartime government, 1940–1945 People educated at Eton College Politics of Grantham Recipients of the Military Cross Warrender, Victor Warrender, Victor Warrender, Victor Warrender, Victor Warrender, Victor UK MPs who were granted peerages Ministers in the Churchill caretaker government, 1945 Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940 1 Barons created by George VI Ministers in the Chamberlain peacetime government, 1937–1939