Sir Charles Lennox Wyke, (2 September 1815 – 4 October 1897) was a British diplomat. Charles Lennox Wyke Vanity Fair 9 February 1884

Wyke was born on 2 September 1815, was the son of George Wyke, of Robbleston, Pembrokeshire, captain in the

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, by his wife Charlotte, daughter of F. Meyrick. He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, and afterwards a captain on the King of Hanover's staff. In 1847 he was appointed

vice-consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

at Port-au-Prince, and in 1852 consul-general in Central America, where he had lost his health. The U.K. had a strong interest in the region, with

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. On 31 October 1854 he was appointed chargé d'affaires, and on 8 August 1859 he was nominated envoy extraordinary. In the same year he was gazetted C.B. On 23 January 1860 he was moved to Mexico as minister

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the wor ...

to the republic and he was created K.C.B. on 22 May. In March 1861

Benito Juárez Benito Pablo Juárez García (; 21 March 1806 – 18 July 1872) was a Mexican liberal politician and lawyer who served as the 26th president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in office in 1872. As a Zapotec, he was the first indigenous pre ...

was elected constitutional president of the Mexican republic following his service as President during the three-year

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

(1858–60) with conservatives; he had succeeded to the presidency from being President of the Supreme Court with the resignation of President

Ignacio Comonfort Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos (; 12 March 1812 – 13 November 1863), known as Ignacio Comonfort, was a Mexican politician and soldier who was also president during one of the most eventful periods in 19th century Mexican history: La ...

. During the war, Juárez had dictatorial powers. The war had left Mexican finances in shambles. Wyke was appointed to his post in Mexico to deal with the Mexican debt crisis. He and the French minister to Mexico, Saligny, were to collaborate on the mediation. Wyke drafted a memo to the UK government, with his fears of Mexico's financial collapse and expectation of social dissolution there. "The blend was an ominous diagnosis of a country in the last stages of decay." On 17 July the Mexican congress suspended payment of public bonds for two years, knowing there was the possibility of that triggering foreign intervention to collect debts. Juárez's Minister of Foreign Relations Manuel María Zamacona had tried to ward off intervention and negotiated with Wyke, since the U.K. was the largest bond holder. They signed the Wyke-Zamacona Agreement on 21 November 1861, but Mexican congress repudiated it 22–23 November and Zamacona resigned from Juárez's. The failure of the agreement left Juárez's government isolated.Hamnett, Brian. ''Juárez''. London: Longman 1994, 154, 157, 256, 279-280 In consequence of the postponement of debt payment, France and England broke off diplomatic relations with the republic on 27 July, and Wyke left Mexico City in December with all his staff, with the failure of the Wyke-Zamacona Agreement. Wyke remained in Mexico to carry on the negotiations connected with the joint intervention of England, France, and Spain. When the design of France, however, to subvert the Mexican government became apparent, England and Spain withdrew from the alliance, and Wyke returned home. On 19 January 1866 he was accredited to Hanover, but in September his mission was cut short by the Austro-Prussian war and the annexation of Hanover by Prussia. In the following year he was appointed (on 16 December) minister at

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, where he remained for fourteen years. In August 1879 he was created G.C.M.G., and on 22 June 1881 he was transferred to Portugal, where he remained till the close of his diplomatic career. He retired on a pension on 21 February 1884 and was nominated a Privy Councillor on 6 Feb. 1886. Wyke died unmarried on 4 October 1897 at his residence, 23

Cheyne Walk Cheyne Walk is an historic road in Chelsea, London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It runs parallel with the River Thames. Before the construction of Chelsea Embankment reduced the width of the Thames here, it fronted ...

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyke, Charles Lennox 1815 births 1897 deaths 19th-century British people British diplomats Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Reform War