Robert William Cumberbatch (1821–1876) was a British diplomat who held the post of

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

in the

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

and

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

Life and career

Cumberbatch was born in

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, the son of Abraham Parry Cumberbatch (1784–1840), a wealthy slave owner in

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, and his second wife, Caroline Chaloner (1788–1840). He first went to

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

in June 1845 to serve as secretary to his half-brother Abraham Carleton Cumberbatch, who had been promoted from Vice Consul to Consul General there on 3 May 1845. Cumberbatch served as Acting Second Consul from May 1855 to June 1856, then as third Vice Consul until September 1857. He was appointed Consul at

Berdiansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk (, ; , ) is a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Berdiansk Raion. The c ...

on the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov is an inland Continental shelf#Shelf seas, shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Ru ...

(now

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, but then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

) on 12 January 1858. On 25 April 1864 he was appointed Consul at Smyrna (now

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

), remaining in his post until his death. Being in the diplomatic service in Smyrna, Cumberbatch enthusiastically struggled with slave trade. He was buried at the British Cemetery at Smyrna on 30 March 1876. Despite the disapproval of his superiors in the foreign service, he repeatedly attempted to draw attention to the slave trade in the Mediterranean in order to create pressure to ban it. doi:10.1086/ahr.117.2.410. S2CID 159756171.

Personal life

Cumberbatch was married twice. In 1843 he married Ellen Lloyd in

Winkfield Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England. Geography According to the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 14,998. The parish includes the hamlets of Winkfield, Maidens Gre ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

, and in 1853 he married Louisa Grace Hanson in Constantinople. Cumberbatch and Hanson had ten children: * William Ernest Cumberbatch (1854–1855). * Robert Carlton Cumberbatch (1855–1868). * Constance Louisa Cumberbatch (1857–1922), married Sir Adam Samuel James Block (1856–1920). *

Henry Alfred Cumberbatch Henry Alfred Cumberbatch (27 June 1858 – 3 December 1918) was a British diplomat who served as a Consul (representative), consul in Romania, Turkey and Lebanon. Life and career Henry Alfred Cumberbatch was born on 27 June 1858 in Berdiansk, ...

(1858–1918), Consul at Smyrna from 1896 to 1908. * Arthur Herbert Cumberbatch (1860–1921), married Marian Dermina Tristram (1862–1917). * Edith Catherine Cumberbatch (1863–1867). * George Charles Cumberbatch (1865–1866). * Gertrude Evelyn Cumberbatch (1866–1924), married Albert Charles Wratislaw, the son of

Albert Henry Wratislaw Albert Henry Wratislaw (5 November 1822 – 3 November 1892) was an English clergyman and Slavonic scholar of Czech descent. Early life Albert Henry Wratislaw was born 5 November 1822 in Rugby, the eldest son of William Ferdinand Wratislaw (178 ...

. * Alice Maud Cumberbatch (1868–1869). * Cyril James Cumberbatch (1873–1944). Through Henry Alfred Cumberbatch, his grandson was Commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch RN, his great-grandson is actor

Timothy Carlton Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch (born 4 October 1939) is an English actor. Early years Carlton was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, the son of Pauline Ellen Laing (née Congdon), who died on 11 October 2007, and Henry Carlton Cumberb ...

, and his great-great-grandson is the actor

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Benedict Cumberbatch, various accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurenc ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cumberbatch, Robert William 1821 births 1876 deaths People from Royal Tunbridge Wells Consuls for the United Kingdom Robert William