 walter turner monckton, 1st viscount monckton of brenchley, gcvo, kcmg, mc, pc (17 january 1891 &ndash; 9 january 1965) was a british politician. ==early years== monckton was born in the small village of plaxtol in northern kent. he was the eldest child of paper manufacturer frank william monckton (1861â1924), and his wife, dora constance (d. 1915).odnb. he was head boy of his preparatory school, the knoll, at woburn sands in buckinghamshire, and attended harrow school from 1904 to 1910. he chose to enter balliol college, oxford as a commoner (despite winning a scholarship at hertford college, oxford) and obtained a third in classical moderations (1912) and a second in history (1914). he was elected president of the oxford union in 1913. he played cricket for harrow against eton in the famous fowler's match in 1910. whilst at oxford, he played a first-class cricket match for the combined universities in 1911. ==career== a lawyer, monckton served as advisor to edward viii during the abdication crisis, having been attorney general to the duchy of cornwall since 1932. he was recorder of hythe from 1930-37. he worked in propaganda and information during world war ii and became solicitor general in winston churchill's 1945 caretaker government, although he refused to join the conservative party. he finally joined after the war and became a member of parliament for bristol west at a 1951 by-election. churchill soon appointed him to the cabinet as minister of labour and national service, in which post he served from 1951 to 1955. he was anthony eden's minister of defence 1955&ndash;56, but was the only cabinet minister to oppose his suez policy, and was moved to paymaster-general 1956&ndash;57. monckton was made [[viscount monckton of brenchl
1891_births 1965_deaths Alumni_of_Balliol_College,_Oxford British_Secretaries_of_State Conservative_Party_(UK)_MPs English_cricket_administrators English_cricketers Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Order Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_English_constituencies Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_the_United_Kingdom People_educated_at_Harrow_School People_of_the_Iraq_Petroleum_Company Presidents_of_Surrey_CCC Presidents_of_the_Marylebone_Cricket_Club Presidents_of_the_Oxford_Union Solicitors_General_for_England_and_Wales UK_MPs_1951a55 UK_MPs_1955a59 Viscounts_in_the_Peerage_of_the_United_Kingdom