Sir Sidney Barton (26 November 1876 – 20 January 1946) was a British barrister and diplomat, serving as consul-general in Shanghai and as minister to Ethiopia.

Early life

Sidney Barton was born in

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, Devonshire, England on 26 November 1876, the fourth son of Captain James Barton and Mary Barbara Barclay. The Bartons were a distinguished

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

family that came to Ireland from

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

in 1599 with the

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

, gaining lands in

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...

. Barton was descended through his mother from the Barclay baronets, a title in the

Baronetage of Nova Scotia Baronets are hereditary titles awarded by the Crown. The current baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier, existing baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland and Great Britain. To be recognised as a baronet, it is necessary ...

, his grandfather being the 10th Baronet, Sir David Edward Barclay of Pierston. Sir Colville Barclay, a fellow diplomat and third son of the twelfth Baronet, was a cousin. Barton was educated at

St Paul's School, London St Paul's School is a Selective school, selective Private schools in the United Kingdom, independent day school (with limited boarding school, boarding) for boys aged 13–18, founded in 1509 by John Colet and located on a 43-acre site by Rive ...

Career in China

Barton entered the

Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtain diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...

in the Chinese Consular Service on 16 September 1895 and was posted to the legation in

Peking Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city by urban area after Shanghai. It is l ...

as a

student interpreter Student interpreter was, historically, an entry-level position in the British and American diplomatic and consular service, principally in China, Japan, Siam and, in the case of the United States, Turkey. It is no longer used as a title. A number ...

. From 1899 to 1901 he was posted on special service to the British territory of

Weihaiwei Weihai ( zh, t=, p=Wēihǎi), formerly Weihaiwei ( zh, s=, p=Wēihǎiwèi, l=Mighty Sea Fort, first=t), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport city in the easternmost Shandong province of China. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow ...

. When the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...

erupted in 1900 culminating in the siege of the foreign legations, Barton took part in the

Eight-Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, which were being besieged by the popular Boxer ...

relief efforts as an interpreter and assistant political officer and was awarded the China War Medal for his actions. On 14 November 1901 he was appointed Vice-Consul to the Consul in Tienstin, Lionel Charles Hopkins. In 1910 he was admitted as a barrister-at-law to

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

. Returning to China, on 12 May 1911 Barton was appointed Chinese Secretary to the Minister to China Sir John Jordan at the Legation in Peking. For his service in Peking, on 6 June 1913 he was made a 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, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

(CMG). In 1922 he was appointed

Consul-General A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. Shanghai was a difficult posting, involving managing the British government's approach to the

Shanghai Municipal Council The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which British and American citizens would enjoy extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction under the terms of ...

and the significant ' Shanghailander' British community. Barton was known as being "notoriously pro-settler" despite being awarded the Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(KBE) on 3 July 1926 following his efforts to calm tensions after the May 30 Movement of 1925. As a consequence, the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

was keen to replace Barton with someone more amenable to better relations with Chiang Kai-shek's new government.

Career in Ethiopia

In June 1929 Barton was formally appointed Minister to the Empire of Ethiopia. Barton attended the Coronation of the Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

on 2 November 1930 in St. George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa and for his assistance to the HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who was

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

's representative at the coronation, was made a Knight Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(KCVO) on 30 October 1930. Barton was also presented by the Emperor with his Coronation Medal and the Grand Cross of the

Order of the Star of Ethiopia The Order of the Star of Ethiopia was established as an order of knighthood of the Ethiopian Empire, founded by the Negus of Shewa and later Emperor of Ethiopia Menelik II in 1884–1885. It is currently awarded as a house order by the Crown ...

. Barton was British minister in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

during the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Fascist Italy, Italy against Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is oft ...

and ordered a detachment of

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

troops from the

14th Punjab Regiment The 14th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India, independence in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st Punjab Regiment, 1st, 15th Punjab Regiment, 15 ...

to defend the legation during this period while providing space for 2000 refugees. Barton found himself frustrated by the lack of assistance given to Ethiopia in the face of Italian aggression and worked to ensure that the Emperor and his family were able to safely escape to exile. For his efforts during the war Foreign Secretary

Sir Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

stated to the House of Commons on 4 May 1936 that his "conduct of affairs throughout has been beyond all praise" and on 7 May

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

sent a personal message to Barton expressing his "appreciation of the manner in which he discharged his responsibilities for the interests of British nationals and other foreign nationals in Abyssinia, who have sought his protection during the period of difficulty and trying experiences of recent days."

Retirement

After returning safely to London, Barton retired and thereafter spent time working for the exiled Haile Selassie and his family. He was appointed as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) on 1 January 1936, while Lady Barton was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 11 May 1937. He died in January 1946 and is buried at Muckross Church near the family home at The Waterfoot,

Pettigo Pettigo, also spelt Pettigoe ( ; ), is a small village and townland on the border of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is bisected by the Termon River, which is part of the border between the Repu ...

Family

Barton married Mary Ethel Winifred MacEwen, daughter of Alexander Palmer MacEwen, on 23 July 1904 and had two sons, James Alexander Barclay Barton (1905–1940) and Hugh David MacEwen Barton (1911–1989), and two daughters, Marion Barton and Barbara Esmé Barton. His youngest son went on to be chairman and managing director of Jardine, Matheson & Co. in Hong Kong.Sir Sydney Barton 1876–1946
– Association for the Development of Pettigo & Tullyhommon

Honours

* Knight Grand Cross of the

(GBE; 1936) * Royal Victorian Order UK ribbon

Knight Commander of the

(KCVO; 1930) * UK Order St-Michael St-George ribbon

Companion of the

(CMG; 1913) * Third China War Medal BAR

China War Medal (1900) *

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

(1935) *

King George VI Coronation Medal The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir of King George VI's coronation. It was awarded to th ...

(1937) *

ETH Order of the Star of Ethiopia - Member BAR

Haile Selassie Coronation Medal (1930) * ETH Order of the Star of Ethiopia - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the

References

External links

*
Various portraits of Barton from the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, Sidney 1876 births 1946 deaths Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia People of Anglo-Irish descent British barristers British diplomats in China Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Middle Temple People educated at St Paul's School, London Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia