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Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock

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The Lord Carnock
Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock
British Ambassador to Russia
In office
1906–1910
Preceded bySir Charles Hardinge
Succeeded bySir George Buchanan
British Ambassador to Spain
In office
1904–1905
Preceded byEdwin Henry Egerton
Succeeded byMaurice William Ernest de Bunsen
Personal details
Born(1849-09-19)19 September 1849
London, United Kingdom
Died5 November 1928(1928-11-05) (aged 79)
London, United Kingdom
Spouse
Mary Katherine Hamilton
(after 1882)
ChildrenFrederick Nicolson
Erskine Nicolson
Harold Nicolson
Clementina Nicolson
Alma materBrasenose College, Oxford
OccupationDiplomat

Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, KCIE, PC (19 September 1849 – 5 November 1928), known as Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Baronet, from 1899 to 1916, was a British diplomat and politician during the last quarter of the 19th century to the middle of World War I.[1]

Early life

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Born in London,[2] he was the eldest son of Admiral Sir Frederick Nicolson, 10th Baronet by his wife Mary Loch. Educated at Rugby and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he left without taking a degree, he succeeded his father as Baronet in 1899.[3]

Career

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Sir Arthur Nicolson, British Ambassador to Russia

From 1870 to 1874, he worked in the Foreign Office, during which time he was author of the History of the German Constitution (1873).

From 1872 to 1874, he was secretary to Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, followed by secretary of the Embassy at Berlin (from 1874 to 1876) and secretary of the Embassy at Peking (1876–1878).

From 1879 to 1881, he was Secretary to the Ambassador at the Embassy at Constantinople. He was promoted to Chargé d'affaires in Athens, where he served from 1884 to 1885, before becoming Chargé in Teheran from 1885 to 1888.

Beginning in 1888, and continuing until 1893, he was Consul-General in Budapest. He was stationed with the Embassy in Constantinople in 1894 before becoming the British Minister at Tangiers from 1895 to 1904.

In 1904, he was appointed the British Ambassador to Spain in Madrid, serving until 1905. From 1906 to 1910, he was the British Ambassador to Russia in Saint Petersburg, followed by the Permanent Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1910 to 1916.

On 27 June 1916, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Carnock, of Carnock in the County of Stirling.[4]

Personal life

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In 1882, Nicolson was married to Mary Katherine Hamilton, daughter of Capt. Archibald Rowan Hamilton, of Killyleagh Castle, Co. Down, and a descendant of Archibald Hamilton Rowan.[3] Together, they had three sons and a daughter:[5]

Descendants

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Through his second son, he was a grandfather of one girl and two boys,[7][8] including David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock.[8] Through his third son Harold, he was a grandfather of Benedict Nicolson, an art historian, and Nigel Nicolson, a politician and writer.[5]

Through his daughter, he was a grandfather of John St Aubyn, 4th Baron St Levan and the Hon. Oliver Piers St Aubyn (father of the 5th Baron St Levan).[5]

Honours

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[3]

References

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  1. ^ Keith Neilson. "Nicolson, Arthur, first Baron Carnock". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35238. Retrieved 3 January 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Weber 1968, p. 222.
  3. ^ a b c CARNOCK, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007
  4. ^ "No. 29651". The London Gazette. 4 July 1916. p. 6597.
  5. ^ a b c "Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock". geni.com. 26 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Gwen St. Aubyn". npg.org.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ Dod 1982.
  8. ^ a b (Burke 2001, p. 1108)
  9. ^ The India List and India Office List for 1905, p. 145, at Google Books
  10. ^ "No. 27329". The London Gazette. 2 July 1901. p. 4399.
  11. ^ "Court and Social". The Times. No. 36493. London. 28 June 1901. p. 10.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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Government offices
Preceded by Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs
1910–1916
Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Carnock
1916–1928
Succeeded by
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by Baronet
(of Carnock)
1899–1929
Succeeded by