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 Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

and

Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...

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 ...

, 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 14t ...

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 the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

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

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(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 popul ...

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 o ...

. 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 Baron Carnock, of Carnock in the County of Stirling, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for the former Permanent Under-Secretary in the Foreign Office, Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Baronet. The Nicolson famil ...

, ''of

Carnock Carnock ( gd, A' Chàrnaich) is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland, west of Dunfermline. It is east of Oakley, Fife. The name of the village derives from Scottish Gaelic, from ''ceàrn'' ("corner"), with a suffix denoting a toponym, thus ...

in the

County of Stirling Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling. It borders Perth ...

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 Archibald Hamilton Rowan (1 May 1751 – 1 November 1834), christened Archibald Hamilton (sometimes referred to as Archibald Rowan Hamilton), was a founding member of the Dublin Society of United Irishmen, a political exile in France and the Unit ...

. 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 House, Maristow in the parish of Tamerton Foliot, Devon, was a British Conservative Party (UK), ...

. * 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, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (Birth name, 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 su ...

, daughter of

Lionel Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville (15 May 1867 – 28 January 1928), was a British peer. Sackville-West was the son of the Honourable William Edward Sackville-West, sixth son of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr and Lady ...

. * 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 David Henry Arthur Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock (10 July 1920 – 26 December 2008) was a British peer and solicitor. The son of the 3rd Baron Carnock and Hon. Katharine Frederica Albertha Lopes, he was educated at Winchester College and Balliol C ...

. Through his third son Harold, he was a grandfather of

Benedict Nicolson Lionel Benedict Nicolson (6 August 1914 – 22 May 1978) was a British art historian and author. Nicolson was the elder son of authors Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West and the brother of writer and politician Nigel. His godmothers ...

, an art historian, and

Nigel Nicolson Nigel Nicolson (19 January 1917 – 23 September 2004) was an English writer, publisher and politician. Early life and education Nicolson was the second son of writers Sir Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West; he had an elder brother Ben ...

, 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 o ...

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

Baron St Levan Baron St Levan, of St Michael's Mount in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 4 July 1887 for the former Member of Parliament Sir John St Aubyn, 2nd Baronet, becoming John St Aubyn, 1st Ba ...

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 honour ...

– ''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 of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

– ''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 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, o ...

– ''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, or ...

– ''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, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

– ''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 one ...

– ''1907''

References

Bibliography

* . *

External links

* * , 1921, by

Harold Begbie Edward Harold Begbie (1871 – 8 October 1929), also known as Harold Begbie, was an English journalist and the author of nearly 50 books and poems. Besides studies of the Christian religion, he wrote numerous other books, including political sa ...

, 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 libr ...

* * * * {{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