Lord Home Research Articles

Lord Home and Anglo–American Relations, 1961–1963

This article focuses on the role of Lord Home, the British Foreign Secretary, in the conduct of Anglo–American relations between 1961 and 1963. It studies three controversial policy areas: the newly independent states of Laos and the Congo, along with the debate over the decolonization of British Guiana; the key Cold War issues of Berlin and Cuba; and a variety of nuclear weapons–related matters. It is argued that Home, in constantly striving to maintain the alliance, was more pro-American than Macmillan. He exercised an important restraining and calming influence on the Prime Minister, preventing him from pursuing potentially damaging initiatives. However, the relationship between the two men was strong. Home’s diplomacy usually complimented Macmillan’s interventions and they often worked together.

Alec Douglas‐Home: Right Man, Wrong Century?

The 14th Prime Minister of the twentieth century was a 14th Earl, an improbable occurrence and one never likely to be repeated. Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home was born on 2 July 1903, the eldest of seven children of the 13th Earl of Home (pronounced ‘Hume’). He himself was to undergo several name changes, becoming successively Lord Dunglass, Earl of Home, Sir Alec Douglas-Home and, finally, Lord Home of the Hirsel. According to his official biographer, D.R. Thorpe, his ‘upbringing was privileged even by the standards of the upper classes of the time’ (Thorpe 1996). He was descended from two of the most powerful and wealthy families in Scotland. The Douglases, famous robber barons, had been the scourge of the English for several centuries; the Homes had betrayed their own countrymen to collaborate with their English oppressors, and, in 1603, the first Earl came down to London with King James I, as one of his most trusted advisers. The Douglas and Home families were united by marriage in 1832, and, when Alec was born, his grandfather, the 12th Earl, owned well over 100,000 acres, with estates in Berwickshire and Lanarkshire — the latter containing valuable coal deposits — as well as several grouse moors, valuable fishing rights over a long stretch of the River Tweed, and castles at Douglas and the Hirsel, near Coldstream.

Collins encyclopaedia of Scotland

Some 3500 entries, totalling 750,000 words written by John and Julia Keay and nearly 150 expert contributors (including public figures such as Lord Home, David Steel and Fitzroy MacLean and a host of academics), describe all the main topographical, historical, social, architectural and industrial features of Scotland from A-Z. In addition, the book includes biographical entries on eminent Scots men and women of the past.

Macmillan and the wind of change in Africa, 1957–1960

ABSTRACTBased on the recently released documents in the Public Record Office, London, this article is concerned with examining the reasons behind the shift in the British approach towards decolonization in Africa signalled by Macmillan's ‘wind of change’ speech to the South African parliament on 3 February 1960. The documents suggest that the British decision to abdicate in Africa was partly due to international considerations, and to Cold War politics and the need to prevent Soviet penetration in Africa. The change from ‘multi-racialism’ to ‘non-racialism’ can be attributed to the influence of the commonwealth relations office under Lord Home, and an initiative from the leader of the Africa Capricorn society, David Stirling. The emphasis on the need for Britain to pursue the same policy in all of Africa can also be traced to the commonwealth relations office. Macmillan, himself was influenced by the ‘moral’ aspect, by the policies pursued by the Belgians in the Congo, but above all by the failure of French policy in Algeria.

More on James Stewart of Jerusalem

Dr Durkan in his note on Catholic sympathisers in Edinburgh in 1611 tells of James Stewart's interrogation in 1613 by Archbishop Gledstanes and subsequent escape from custody.1 Stewart's designation 'of Jerusalem' was a nickname fodowing a pilgrimage he made to Jerusalem in 1602. His proper designation was 'of Kincardine' (in 1600 and 1604), ormore usuady 'of Over Kincardine' (from 1605 onwards), but whether he was connected with the Stewarts of Kincardine in Speyside is open to conjecture. James had a brother Walter Stewart, burgess of Inverness, who was murdered sometime between 1613 and 1616 by adherents of Sir Lachlan Macintosh of Dunachton.2 According to the retours for the sheriffdom of Inverness, James Stewart was never retoured to Kincardine in Speyside as the succession of that famtiy passed in 1602 from John Stewart to John Stewart, his grandson (son of the deceased Walter Stewart), and thence to Duncan Stewart, son of the younger John, in 1642. James was obviously not short ofmoney. Between November 1600 and February 1601, before setting out on his pilgrimage, he deposited various sums totading 6,300 merks with the Duke of Lennox, Sir James Sandelands of Slamannan, Sir Thomas Erskine of Gogar, Richard Preston (later Sir Richard Preston), the Master of Orkney, the Earl of Mar, Sir George Home of Primroseknowe (later the Earl of Dunbar), Lord Home, Lord Roxburgh and Sir James Bedenden of Broughton.3 The money was to be repaid within twenty days of his return providing he brought a testimonial with him. He had returned from his pilgrimage before the end of 1603, as on 30th November the king wrote to the lords of session saying that James Stewart should be repaid the sums he had advanced to noblemen, councidors and others, as he had brought back with him a testimonial given by Francis Mavema of the Order of Friars Minor of the observance of province 'Brixiae', professor guardian of the Mount Sion and commissioner apostolic of the Holy Land. This was dated 29th August 1602 at the house of St Salvator in Jerusalem, and stated that James had come to Jerusalem, and had visited 'the Sepulchre of the resurrection of the Lord, the mount of Calvary where the re-

Heritage Hausaland - A Right Honourable Gentleman: Abubakar from the Black Rock. By Trevor Clark, with forewords by Lord Home and Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. London: Edward Arnold, 1991. Pp. xl + 888.

Heritage Hausaland - A Right Honourable Gentleman: Abubakar from the Black Rock. By Trevor Clark, with forewords by Lord Home and Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. London: Edward Arnold, 1991. Pp. xl + 888. - Volume 34 Issue 3

The Scottish question

It is perhaps hard to believe now, but the Conservative Party has not always set its face firmly against Devolution, in the form of a Scottish Assembly. Indeed, in the late 60s and early 70s there were two high-powered think tanks working on proposals on behalf of the Party. One was chaired by George Younger and the other by Lord Home (then Sir Alec Douglas-Home). The deliberations included proportional repre­ sentation, were wide ranging, and concluded that there was a real desire among Scottish people to have a greater say in their own affairs. The now famous Declaration of Perth made by Edward Heath at the Party Conference in May 1969 made aclear commitment to bringing this about.

National Rubella Council

Towards the close of the International Year of Disabled People, a group of world figures involved in disability was convened at Leeds Castle by the DHSS under the Chairmanship of the former Prime Minister, Lord Home of the Hirsel. It was a unique group of scientists, doctors, health administrators and politicians, who met to consider practical measures to prevent dis ablement, which afflicts one in ten of the human race. Their nine recommendations for immediate aciton to respond to the public concern stimu lated by IYDP were unanimously agreed. *

Book Reviews : Letters to a Grandson, Lord Home, Collins £6.95

Book Reviews : Letters to a Grandson, Lord Home, Collins £6.95

Central Treaty Organization

The Ministerial Council of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) met in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 30 and May 1, 1963, for its eleventh session, under the chairmanship of Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Foreign Minister of Pakistan. The session was attended by the foreign ministers of the other three CENTO countries—Mr. Abbas Aram (Iran), Mr. Feridun Cemal Erkin (Turkey), and Lord Home (United Kingdom)—and by Mr. Dean Rusk, United States Secretary of State, who took part as an observer in accordance with normal practice, since the United States was not a full member of the Organization. The Council session had been preceded by the thirteenth meeting of the CENTO military committee held in Ankara on April 27–28, 1963.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The Ministerial Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held its eleventh annual ministerial review at NATO headquarters in Paris from December 16 to 18, 1960. The main topic of discussion at the meeting was the announcement by United States Secretary of State Christian Herter of what he reportedly termed a new concept for the operation of medium-range ballistic missiles. The United States plan included: 1) a proposal that NATO discuss a multilateral system for the political control of the weapons; 2) an offer to place five ballistic missile submarines armed with 80 Polaris missiles under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR), by the end of 1963; and 3) a suggestion that the other members of the alliance contribute approximately 100 more medium-range ballistic missiles by purchasing them in the United States. The press reported that Lord Home, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, welcomed the United States proposal and said that NATO should examine the possibility of a medium-range ballistic missile force under multilateral control, a suggestion in which M. Couve de Murville, the French Foreign Minister, concurred. The West German Defense Minister, Franz Joseph Strauss, told the Ministers, the press announced, that concrete decisions on the United States proposal should be taken in the near future, and that plans for NATO control of the Polaris missile force should be pushed through by military and political authorities early in the spring of 1961. The Council of Ministers decided to pass on to its Permanent Comand other related materials, according to the press.