# Angus McDonnell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Angus_McDonnell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Angus_McDonnell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_McDonnell > Source revision: 1284010724 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} {{one source|date=March 2016}} [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable) '''Angus McDonnell''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|CMG}} (7 June 1881 – 22 April 1966) was a British [engineer](/source/Railway_systems_engineering), diplomat and [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) politician.{{cite news|title=Obituary: Col. The Hon. Angus McDonnell|date=26 April 1966|work=The Times|location=London|page=14}} ==Early life== He was the second son of [William Randal McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim](/source/William_Randal_McDonnell%2C_6th_Earl_of_Antrim), and [Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim](/source/Louisa_McDonnell%2C_Countess_of_Antrim). After his education at [Eton College](/source/Eton_College), he briefly entered business as a [merchant banker](/source/merchant_banker) with [Morgan Grenfell](/source/Morgan%2C_Grenfell_%26_Co.). He subsequently moved to the United States, where he worked for [Chiswell Langhorne](/source/Chiswell_Langhorne) in constructing railways in [Virginia](/source/Virginia). McDonnell became a close friend of Langhorne's daughter [Nancy Astor](/source/Nancy_Astor%2C_Viscountess_Astor). With the outbreak of the [First World War](/source/First_World_War), he served with the railway troops reserve of the [1st Canadian Division](/source/1st_Canadian_Division) in constructing railways behind the lines of the [Western Front](/source/Western_Front_(World_War_I)) and rose to the rank of colonel. ==Political career== He returned to the United Kingdom, where he was chosen by the [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) to contest the constituency of [Dartford](/source/Dartford_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) at the [1924 general election](/source/1924_United_Kingdom_general_election). He narrowly defeated the sitting [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) [member of parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)), [John Edmund Mills](/source/John_Edmund_Mills). McDonnell had little interest in Parliament, did not defend the seat in [1929](/source/1929_United_Kingdom_general_election) and returned to his business activities. ==Washington honorary attaché== When America entered the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) in 1941, McDonnell was appointed Honorary Attaché to Washington, D.C. where he was able to use his personal and business contacts to assist [Lord Halifax](/source/E._F._L._Wood%2C_1st_Earl_of_Halifax), [British Ambassador to the United States](/source/List_of_Ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_the_United_States). McDonnell was a capable aide to the British Ambassador, Lord Halifax. He would be the advance agent to Halifax's speeches and planned a punishing schedule of talks by the ambassador to the American public. His contacts enabled Halifax to further his influence in American political and commercial circles. The role of Ambassador was not one that came easily to Halifax, who greatly relied upon the aid that McDonnell provided.N.J. Cull, 'Lord Halifax, 1941-46', in M.F. Hopkins, S. Kelly and J.W. Young (eds.), The Washington Embassy British Ambassadors to the United States, 1939-77, (Basingstoke, Macmillan 2009) ==Personal life and death== He married actress Ethelwyne Sylvia Arthur Jones, the daughter of dramatist [Henry Arthur Jones](/source/Henry_Arthur_Jones), on 13 December 1913.{{Cite web|title=Winslow History {{!}} Silvanus Jones (1827-1914) and Henry Arthur Jones the playwright (1851-1929)|url=http://www.winslow-history.org.uk/winslow_families-jones.shtm|access-date=2021-10-02|website=winslow-history.org.uk}} They had no issue, and she died in 1948. He died at 84 at his home in [Tunbridge Wells](/source/Tunbridge_Wells), [Kent](/source/Kent), in April 1966. ==References== {{reflist}} ==Links== *{{rayment-hc|date=March 2012}} == External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | lieut-colonel-hon-angus-mcdonnell | Angus McDonnell }} {{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for [Dartford](/source/Dartford_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) | years = [1924](/source/1924_United_Kingdom_general_election)–[1929](/source/1929_United_Kingdom_general_election) | before = [John Edmund Mills](/source/John_Edmund_Mills) | after = [John Edmund Mills](/source/John_Edmund_Mills) }} {{s-end}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Angus}} Category:1881 births Category:1966 deaths Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:UK MPs 1924–1929 Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:People educated at Eton College Category:Younger sons of earls Category:Canadian military personnel of World War I Category:British diplomats --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Angus McDonnell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_McDonnell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_McDonnell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.