Charles Archibald Walker Rose (1879–1961) was a British diplomat, explorer and businessman in China during the early twentieth century.Obituary in '' The Times'', ''Mr. Archibald Rose'', 9 March 1961, p.19 Rose's obituary in '' The Times'' stated that he was 'a lovable and saint-like man. His dandiacal appearance and his taste for drollery were unsure guides to his true character, in which the dominant strain was a sort of earnest but unobtrusive chivalry'.

Life

Archie Rose, the son of Thomas Edward Rose, was born on 14 July 1879. He was educated at Bedford Modern School and King's College, London, before becoming a

student interpreter Student interpreter was, historically, an entry-level position in the British and American diplomatic and consular service, principally in China, Japan, Siam and, in the case of the United States, Turkey. It is no longer used as a title. A number o ...

at the British Legation in Peking in 1897. Rose was awarded the China War Medal and clasp for his role in the defence of western embassies during the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

in 1900. and provided a lively eye-witness account of life in the Legations during the sieges, for example from Monday 25 June 1900: 'These people are the most shockingly bad shots fortunately for us. If a quarter of their shots and shells came anywhere near our walls and buildings we should all have been in suitable resting-places long ago. They must be utter rotters. If they had any pluck there are several places where they could get into the compound and smash us easily. Every day we are fortifying, trenching, barricading, doing everything that is possible, whilst they stay at a safe distance and blaze away like fun'. In 1903 Rose was appointed British Consul at

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, and subsequently became consul at Chefoo,

Ningpo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sa ...

Hangchow Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, wh ...

and Tengyue.''Who was Who'', p. 977. He also travelled extensively in China, Mongolia and Central Asia and collaborated on an ethnological study of the tribes of the Chinese-Burmese border region. In 1911 Rose was appointed CIE and in the same year returned to England to attend an advanced course in Chinese at King's College, Cambridge. Here, he befriended John Maynard Keynes and the two were to maintain a long-running correspondence. He was also elected a Fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

for his exploration work. On his return to Asia, Rose served as the Foreign Office representative at the tripartite conference on the subject of the independence of Tibet held at Simla over the winter of 1913-14 and which led to the Simla Accord. In 1915 he was Commercial Attache at Shanghai and from 1917 he held the same position at the Peking embassy. During this period he also developed an enthusiasm for ballroom-dancing to the extent that he was referred to by his friend George Ernest Morrison, ''The Times'' China Correspondent, as 'Professor of dancing and deportment in the department of commerce'. Rose retired from the Foreign Office with the rank of First Secretary in 1921, and embarked on a career in business in the Far East; becoming a Director of

British American Tobacco British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2019, it is the large ...

and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and India. He retired to England at Framlingham,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

, and became a JP for the county. He died on 3 March 1961.''Who was Who'', p.977

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, Archie 1879 births 1961 deaths People educated at Bedford Modern School Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society British diplomats in China Alumni of King's College London People from Framlingham