Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet

Sir Ronald Hibbert Cross, 1st Baronet, KCMG, KCVO, PC (9 May 1896 – 3 June 1968) was a British politician and diplomat.

The Right Honourable Sir Ronald Cross Bt KCMG KCVO
17th Governor of Tasmania
In office 22 August 1951 – 4 June 1958
Preceded by	Hugh Binney
Succeeded by	Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan
Member of Parliament for Ormskirk
In office 25 February 1950 – 5 April 1951
Preceded by	Harold Wilson
Succeeded by	Arthur Salter
Personal details
Born	9 May 1896 Pendleton, Lancashire, England
Died	3 June 1968 (aged 72) Westminster, London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Louise Marion Green-Emmott

Early life and education

Cross was educated at Ludgrove Preparatory School and then Eton College. He served with the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry and as a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I.[1]

Career

At the 1931 general election, Cross was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Rossendale. He served successively as government whip (1935), Junior Lord of the Treasury (1937), Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (1937–38) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (1938–39).[1] He was sworn into the Privy Council in 1940.

During the Second World War, Cross served as Minister of Economic Warfare (1939–40) and Minister of Shipping (1940–41). In 1941, he was removed as Minister of Shipping after his performance was criticized by the press.[1] The same year, he was appointed British High Commissioner to Australia and created a Baronet, of Bolton-le-Moors in the County Palatine of Lancaster.[2] Cross returned to the United Kingdom in 1945 but lost his seat at that year's election.

In 1950, Cross was elected in the seat of Ormskirk, Lancashire. He later served as Governor of Tasmania from 23 August 1951 to 4 June 1958. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) by Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Hobart during her Coronation Tour in 1954.[3] He was later appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1955 New Year Honours.[4] He was a popular governor, well regarded in the island State.

Cross married Louise Marion Green-Emmott in 1925. They had four daughters and a son who predeceased him.[1]

Mount Ronald Cross in western Tasmania is named after him.

References

1. Kent, Hilary (1993). "Cross, Sir Ronald Hibbert (1896–1968)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 13. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 12 December 2015 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
2. "No. 35254". The London Gazette. 22 August 1941. p. 4856.
3. "No. 40159". The London Gazette. 27 April 1954. p. 2500.
4. "No. 40366". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1955. p. 4.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Ronald Cross
• Newspaper clippings about Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW