The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style ...

Sir Evan Edward Charteris, (29 January 1864 – 16 November 1940) was a British biographer, historian, barrister and arts administrator. He published notable biographies of his friend

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

and of

Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhood ...

Life

Evan Edward Charteris was the youngest child of

Francis Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss Francis Richard Charteris, 10th Earl of Wemyss GCVO DL (pronounced ''weems'', rhyming with seems) (4 August 1818 – 30 June 1914), styled as Lord Elcho between 1853 and 1883, was a British Whig politician. He founded the Liberty and Propert ...

and Lady Anne Frederica Anson, second daughter of

Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (20 October 1795 – 18 March 1854), known as Viscount Anson from 1818–31, was a British Whig (British political faction), Whig politician from the An ...

. Educated at Eton, he was gazetted to a commission in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

before spending 1887–88 at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. Called to the Bar from the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1891, he practised at the Parliamentary Bar.''The Times'', 18 November 1940, p. 9. In 1886, he was one of the founders of the

Queen's Club The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in Barons Court, West Kensington, London, England. The club hosts the annual Queen's Club Championships grass court lawn tennis tournament (currently known as the "HSBC Championships" for spo ...

in London. From 1914 to 1918, he rejoined the Army as a Staff captain. He was made

King's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1919.''

Who Was Who ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It has been published annually in the form of a hardback book since 1849, and has been published online since 1999. It has also been published on CD-ROM. It lists, and gives information on, people from around ...

'' He became chairman of the Trustees of the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

in 1928 and chairman of the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

Board in 1934. He was also a Trustee of the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

and the

Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse (Great Britain), townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquess of Hertford, Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wall ...

. He was knighted in 1932 and elected a member of the

Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...

in 1938.Announcements
''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'' 141 (19 March 1938), p. 509. On 9 August 1930, he married Lady Dorothy Margaret Browne, the elder daughter of Valentine Browne, 5th Earl of Kenmare and Hon. Elizabeth Baring, and the widow of Lord Edward Arthur Grosvenor. He died at his residence, Jesmond Hill,

Pangbourne Pangbourne is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in the West Berkshire unitary area of the county of Berkshire, England. Pangbourne has shops, churches, schools and a village hall. Outside its nucleated village, grouped developed are ...

, Berkshire.

Works

*(ed.) ''A short account of the affairs of Scotland: in the years 1744, 1745, 1746'', 1907 *''William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, his early life and times (1721-1748)'', 1913 *''William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and the seven years' war'', 1925 *''John Sargent: with reproductions from his paintings and drawings'', 1927 *''The Life and Letters of Sir

'', London, 1931

References

External links

* 1864 births 1940 deaths 20th-century King's Counsel Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford British Army personnel of World War I British arts administrators British barristers British biographers Coldstream Guards soldiers Historians of Scotland Members of the Inner Temple People associated with the National Gallery, London People associated with the Tate galleries People associated with the Wallace Collection People educated at Eton College Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery Younger sons of earls {{UK-historian-stub British people of Scottish descent