Sir William George Eden Wiseman, 10th Baronet (1 February 1885 – 17 June 1962) was a British intelligence agent and banker. He was a general partner at American investment bank Kuhn, Loeb & Co. from 1929 till 1960.

Life

The grandson of

Sir William Wiseman, 8th Baronet Rear Admiral Sir William Saltonstall Wiseman, 8th Baronet KCB (4 August 1814 – 14 July 1874) was a British naval officer. Naval career Born the son of Captain Sir William Saltonstall Wiseman,For more on William Saltonstall Wiseman see: 7t ...

, a British naval officer, he was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

and

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Royal Cardigan Artillery Militia on 30 April 1902. As a businessman, before the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was chairman in London of Hendens Trust. From 1914, he served as a lieutenant colonel with the

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1959. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light ...

but, following injury, transferred to military intelligence. He was sent by Secret Intelligence Service director,

Mansfield Smith-Cumming Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming (1 April 1859 – 14 June 1923) was a British naval officer who served as the first chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Origins He was a great-great grandson of the prominent merchant John ...

, to establish the agency's office in New York, 'Section V'. As the head of the British intelligence mission in the United States, Wiseman was extensively involved in the counter-intelligence against the Indian seditionists and was ultimately responsible for leaking to New York Police, bypassing diplomatic channels, the details of a bomb plot that led to the uncovering of the Hindu Conspiracy. Wiseman acted as a liaison between

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

and the British government. He and his associate General Julius Klein were closely associated with Special Advisor to Wilson Colonel Edward M. House. He met with Wilson on a regular basis and on one notable occasion in August 1918 spent a week's vacation with the President and House. Wiseman was also a mentor to spy chief

William Stephenson Sir William Samuel Stephenson (23 January 1897 – 31 January 1989), born William Samuel Clouston Stanger, was a Canadian soldier, fighter pilot, businessman and spymaster who served as the senior representative of the British Security Coord ...

. He was made a Companion 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 ...

, In recognition of services in connection with the War, in the King's

1918 Birthday Honours The 1918 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, 3 June a ...

. After the war, Wiseman was a participant in the

1919 Paris Peace Conference Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Bratislava, Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY Iolaire, HMY ''Io ...

. He remained in the U.S. as an employee of Kuhn Loeb, becoming a partner in 1929.

References

External links

*Sir William Wiseman papers (MS 666). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library

* doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/67496, Sir William George Eden Wiseman, 10th Bt. entry in the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' Wiseman, Sir William, 10th Baronet Wiseman, Sir William, 10th Baronet Wiseman, Sir William, 10th Baronet People educated at Stubbington House School People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Companions of the Order of the Bath British Army personnel of World War I Hindu–German Conspiracy Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers Royal Garrison Artillery officers {{England-baronet-stub

Life

References

See alsol

Further reading

External links