Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock, (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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Early life

Born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, he was the eldest son of Admiral Sir Frederick Nicolson, 10th Baronet by his wife Mary Loch. Educated at Rugby and Brasenose College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, where he left without taking a degree, he succeeded his father as

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1899.CARNOCK, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007

Career

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 Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, (11 May 181531 March 1891), styled Lord Leveson until 1846, was a British Liberal statesman and diplomat from the Leveson-Gower family. He is best remembered for his service as Secreta ...

, followed by secretary of the Embassy at

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

(from 1874 to 1876) and secretary of the Embassy at

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

(1876–1878). From 1879 to 1881, he was Secretary to the Ambassador at the Embassy at Constantinople. He was promoted to

Chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassado ...

in Athens, where he served from 1884 to 1885, before becoming Chargé in

Teheran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popu ...

from 1885 to 1888. Beginning in 1888, and continuing until 1893, he was Consul-General in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. He was stationed with the Embassy in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth ( Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

in 1894 before becoming the British Minister at Tangiers from 1895 to 1904. In 1904, he was appointed the

British Ambassador to Spain The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Spain is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in the Kingdom of Spain, and in charge of the UK's diplomatic mission in Spain. The official title is His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador ...

in Madrid, serving until 1905. From 1906 to 1910, he was the

British Ambassador to Russia The ambassador of the United Kingdom to Russia ( Russian: Британский Посол в России) is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in the Russian Federation and head of the UK's diplomatic mission in Russia. ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, 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.

Personal life

In 1882, Nicolson was married to Mary Katherine Hamilton, daughter of Capt. Archibald Rowan Hamilton, of

Killyleagh Castle Killyleagh Castle is a castle in the village of Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland. It dominates the small village and is believed to be amongst one of the oldest inhabited castles in the country, with parts dating back to 1180. It follows ...

, Co. Down, and a descendant of Archibald Hamilton Rowan. Together, they had three sons and a daughter: * Frederick Archibald Nicolson (1883–1952), who succeeded him as 2nd Baron Carnock and died unmarried. * Erskine Nicolson (1884–1982), who became the 3rd Baron Carnock. He married Hon. Katharine Frederica Albertha Lopes (1892–1968), the eldest daughter of

Henry Lopes, 1st Baron Roborough Henry Yarde Buller Lopes, 1st Baron Roborough (24 March 1859 – 14 April 1938), known as Sir Henry Lopes, 4th Baronet from 1908 to 1938, of Maristow in the parish of Tamerton Foliot, Devon, was a British Conservative Party politician. Life ...

. * Sir

Harold Nicolson Sir Harold George Nicolson (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a British politician, diplomat, historian, biographer, diarist, novelist, lecturer, journalist, broadcaster, and gardener. His wife was the writer Vita Sackville-West. Early li ...

(1886–1968), the writer and husband of

Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, CH (née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a successful novelist, poet and journalist, as wel ...

, daughter of Lionel Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville. * Clementina Gwendolen Catherine Nicolson (1896–1995), who married Francis St Aubyn, 3rd Baron St Levan.

Descendants

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

John St Aubyn, 4th Baron St Levan John Francis Arthur St Aubyn, 4th Baron St Levan OBE DSC DL (23 February 1919 – 7 April 2013) was a British hereditary peer, decorated Royal Navy officer, solicitor, and heritage figure. From 1978 to 2003, he was custodian of the family seat ...

and the Hon. Oliver Piers St Aubyn (father of the 5th Baron St Levan).

Honours

* CMG:

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in hono ...

– ''1886'' * KCIE: Knight Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire – ''1888'' * KCB:

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

– ''invested 27 June 1901'', ''gazetted 2 July 1901'' – on the occasion of the visit to the UK of a Special diplomatic mission from Morocco * KCVO: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order – ''1903'' * GCVO:

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, ...

– ''1905'' * GCMG:

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

– ''1906'' * GCB:

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as ...

– ''1907''

References

Bibliography

* . *

External links

* * , 1921, by Harold Begbie, at

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carnock, Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron 1849 births 1928 deaths Diplomats from London Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom People educated at Rugby School Members of HM Diplomatic Service Diplomatic peers Nicolson, Arthur Nicolson, Arthur Nicolson, Arthur Nicolson, Arthur Nicolson, Arthur Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Barons created by George V 20th-century British diplomats 19th-century British diplomats