Derick Heathcoat-Amory, 1st Viscount Amory

(b. Devon, 26 Dec. 1899; d. 20 Jan. 1981) British; Chancellor of the Exchequer 1958 – 60; Viscount Amory 1960, KG 1968 The son of a baronet, Heathcoat-Amory was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, and spent his formative years in the family's textile business. A former Liberal, he was converted to Conservatism by Harold Macmillan's Middle Way. A member of Devon county council for almost twenty years (1932 – 51), his entry to parliament came relatively late in life. He was elected as the Conservative MP for Tiverton in 1945, shortly before his 46th birthday. He was recruited by R. A. Butler to assist in drawing up the party's Industrial Charter and on the party's return to office in 1951 was given ministerial office, serving principally as Minister of Agriculture before being made Chancellor of the Exchequer in January 1958, following Peter Thorneycroft's decision to resign. He had difficulty resisting Macmillan's demands for an expansionary budget in 1959 and was uncomfortable at the dispatch box, looking close to collapse during the budget speech. He gave up office in July 1960, accepting a viscountcy, and the following year became High Commissioner for Canada, a post he held for two years. He subsequently held a number of other business and public posts, including serving as chairman of Voluntary Service Overseas and president of the Association of County Councils. A very private man, who never married, he was motivated by a sense of public duty. He was also noted for his modesty. His biographer aptly titled his biography The Reluctant Politician.

The Right Honourable  The Viscount Amory  KG GCMG TD Bt DL PC
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 6 January 1958 – 27 July 1960
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Peter Thorneycroft
Succeeded by	Selwyn Lloyd
Born	26 December 1899(1899-12-26) St George's, Hanover Square, London [1]
Died	20 January 1981 (aged 81) Devon [2]
Political party	Conservative

Derick Heathcoat-Amory, 1st Viscount Amory (pronounced /ˈeɪmərɪ/ (AY-məree),^[3] KG, GCMG, TD, Bt, PC, DL, (26 December 1899 – 20 January 1981) was a British Conservative politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1958 to 1960 and as Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 1972 to 1981.

Heathcoat Amory was the son of Sir Ian Heathcoat-Amory, 2nd Baronet and Alexandra Georgina (d. 1942). He was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Devon County Councillor in 1932 and worked in textile manufacturing and banking.

After service in the Territorial Army Royal Artillery (including being wounded and captured during Operation Market-Garden), in which he reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, Heathcoat Amory was elected Member of Parliament for Tiverton in 1945. He entered the cabinet under Sir Winston Churchill in July 1954 succeeding Sir Thomas Dugdale as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. In October 1954 the Ministry merged with the Ministry of Food still in command of Heathcoat Amory. Gwilym Lloyd George had previously been in charge of Food. He remained in the post until he became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1958, under Harold Macmillan.

Heathcoat Amory was awarded the honorary degree of Hon. LLD (Exon) from the University of Exeter in 1959. He retired from the House of Commons in 1960, when he was created Viscount Amory, of Tiverton in the County of Devon, on 1 September 1960, one of the last new hereditary peerages created for senior politicians before life peerages became the norm. In his later years, he was Chancellor of the University of Exeter. He succeeded his brother to the Heathcoat-Amory Baronetcy in 1972. On his death, the viscountcy became extinct, and the baronetcy passed to his younger brother.

He was an uncle of David Heathcoat-Amory.

References

1. ^ GRO Register of Births: JAN 1900 1a 447 ST GEO HAN SQ - Derek Heathcoat-Amory
2. ^ GRO Register of Deaths: MAR 1981 21 2340 MID DEVON - Derick Heathcoat Amory, DoB 26 Dec 1899
3. ^ G.M. Miller, BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (Oxford UP, 1971), p. 5.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gilbert Acland-Troyte	Member of Parliament for Tiverton 1945–1960	Succeeded by Robin Maxwell-Hyslop
Political offices
Preceded by Sir Thomas Dugdale, Bt	Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 1954	Succeeded by Himself as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Preceded by Himself as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries	Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1954–1958	Succeeded by John Hare
Preceded by Gwilym Lloyd George as Minister of Food
Preceded by Peter Thorneycroft	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1958–1960	Succeeded by Selwyn Lloyd
Academic offices
Preceded by Duchess of Devonshire	Chancellor of the University of Exeter 1972–1981	Succeeded by Rex Richards
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Viscount Amory 1960–1981	Extinct
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Heathcoat-Amory	Baronet (of Knightshayes Court)  1972–1981	Succeeded by William Heathcoat-Amory

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Persondata
NAME	Heathcoat Amory, Derick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Heathcoat-Amory, Derek (birth)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chancellor of the University of Exeter
DATE OF BIRTH	1899-12-26
PLACE OF BIRTH	St George's, Hanover Square
DATE OF DEATH	1981-01-20
PLACE OF DEATH	Devon

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