Everything about Charles Monck 4th Viscount Monck totally explained
Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck,
GCMG,
PC (
Templemore October 10,
1819 –
November 29,
1894 Enniskerry) was the last Governor General of the
Province of Canada and the first
Governor General of Canada after
Canadian Confederation. Prior to Confederation he was concurrently
Lieutenant Governor of both
Canada West and
Canada East.
Prior to being appointed as Governor General of Canada, Charles Stanley Monck graduated from
Trinity College, Dublin with a degree in
law and in 1852 he was elected to the
British House of Commons as
Member of Parliament for
Portsmouth. In 1844, he married his cousin Lady Elizabeth Louise Mary Monck and they'd seven children, four of whom lived to adulthood. He succeeded his father in his Irish titles as 4th
Viscount Monck on
April 20,
1849, and in 1866 he was created a peer of the
United Kingdom as
Baron Monck. Lord Monck was a Lord of the Treasury in the
Palmerston government between 1855 and 1858.
Lord Monck served as the Governor of the
province of Canada and the
Governor General of
British North America from 1861 to 1867. Lord Monck worked hard to build Confederation. His efforts to unite and stabilize the young country were recognized with his appointment to the position of Canada's first Governor General in 1867.
In 1861, when Lord Monck first arrived in his official post, there were simmering tensions between Canada and the
United States to the south. Then, 20 days before he took office on
November 28, the "
Trent Affair" erupted – a diplomatic crisis between Britain and the United States government that threatened to use Canada as its battleground – and war seemed inevitable. In the course of his term, Lord Monck used his influence to diffuse the explosive potential not only of this crisis, but of many others to follow.
Lord Monck's skill as a diplomat in Canadian-American relations was matched by his ability in promoting Confederation. He helped build "The Great Coalition", the consolidation of the Reform and Conservative parties that was key to the colonies' pursuit of federalism. In
Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick, he was a tireless promoter of unity and played a leading role in the preparations for a federal union.
In a visit to the new capital of
Ottawa in 1864, Lord Monck saw
Rideau Hall, which became the Governor General's residence, and was purchased by the Government of Canada from the MacKay estate in 1868 for $82,000. Before living in Ottawa, the Moncks had resided at
Spencerwood, near
Quebec City. However, even after moving to Rideau Hall, getting to the heart of Ottawa was still no easy matter. The battered condition of the roads often resulted in Lord Monck travelling to Parliament by canopied boat up the
Ottawa River.
Lady Monck loved horticulture and made considerable improvements to the grounds of the official residence.
Viscount Monck was a private man who enjoyed the company of family and close friends. Those who knew him well spoke of his courtesy, kindness and wit. "I like him amazingly", wrote
John A. Macdonald of Monck, "and shall be very sorry when he leaves, as he's been a very prudent and efficient administrator of public affairs."
When his term of office ended on
November 14,
1868, he returned directly to Ireland. He served as Lord Lieutenant of County Dublin from 1874 to 1892. Lady Monck died on
June 16,
1892, and Lord Monck on November 29, 1894.
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