William Stuart (1824–1896)

The Hon. Sir William Stuart, KCMG, CB (3 March 1824 – 1 April 1896) was a British diplomat who served as Minister to Argentina, Greece and The Netherlands.

The Honourable Sir William Stuart KCMG, CB
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of the Netherlands
In office 1877–1888
Preceded by	Hon. Edward Harris
Succeeded by	Sir Horace Rumbold, Bt
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of the Hellenes
In office 1872–1877
Preceded by	Hon. Edward Erskine
Succeeded by	Edwin Corbett
Minister Plenipotentiary to the Argentine Republic
In office 1868–1872
Preceded by	William Lowther
Succeeded by	Lionel Sackville-West
Personal details
Born	(1824-03-03)3 March 1824
Died	1 April 1896(1896-04-01) (aged 72)
Spouse(s)	Georgina Tremenheere ​ ( his death 1896)
Relations	Charles Stuart, 12th Lord Blantyre (brother)
Parents	Robert Stuart, 11th Lord Blantyre Fanny Mary Rodney
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

Early life

William Stuart was the third son of General Robert Walter Stuart, 11th Lord Blantyre and the former Fanny Mary Rodney, a daughter of Capt. Hon. John Rodney (son of Admiral George Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney). His older brother was Charles Stuart, 12th Lord Blantyre who married Evelyn, the second daughter of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland.[1]

He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge.[2]

Career

He entered the Diplomatic Service in 1845 as unpaid attaché in Paris, and continued unpaid for six years until 1851.[3] In 1856 it fell to Stuart (by then with the rank of First Attaché at Paris) to carry back to London the Ratification, signed by the monarchs of the participating countries, of the Treaty of Paris (1856).[4]

In 1856 Stuart began a series of posts as Secretary of Legation, first at Rio de Janeiro,[5] then at Naples from 1859 until February 1861 when King Francis II was overthrown and the British legation at Naples was closed. Stuart was then appointed to Athens in October 1861,[6] to Washington, D.C. in October 1862,[7] to Constantinople in 1864[8] and to St Petersburg in 1866.[9]

In 1868 Stuart was appointed Minister to the Argentine Republic,[10] although in March 1871 he was in London acting as Protocolist to a conference on the European Commission of the Danube, when he was awarded the CB.[11] In 1872 he was appointed to be Minister to Greece,[12] and in 1877 to his final post as Minister to the Netherlands[13] and Luxembourg.[14] His duties there included negotiation of a bilateral treaty between Great Britain and Luxembourg on the extradition of criminals in 1880[15] (superseded by later European conventions, currently the European Arrest Warrant), and the North Sea Fisheries Convention of 1882. While at The Hague he was knighted a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1886.[16] He retired in 1888.

Personal life

Stuart married Georgina Tremenheere (1848–1901), the eldest daughter of Maj.-Gen. G. B. Tremenheere.

Sir William died 1 April 1896.[17] Lady Stuart died, aged 52, on 3 January 1901.[18]

References

1. Douglas, Sir Robert (1905). Sir James Balfour Paul (ed.). The Scots Peerage. vol. II. Edinburgh: David Douglas. p. 92.
2. "Stuart, The Hon. William (STRT842W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
3. Minutes of evidence taken before the Select Committee on Diplomatic Service, 13 May 1861, page 168, paragraph 1783ff.
4. "No. 21876". The London Gazette. 28 April 1856. p. 1581.
5. "No. 22099". The London Gazette. 19 February 1858. p. 846.
6. "No. 22560". The London Gazette. 29 October 1861. p. 4303.
7. "No. 22670". The London Gazette. 10 October 1862. p. 4823.
8. "No. 22861". The London Gazette. 7 June 1864. p. 2926.
9. "No. 23132". The London Gazette. 29 June 1866. p. 3731.
10. "No. 23343". The London Gazette. 17 January 1868. p. 212.
11. "No. 23716". The London Gazette. 14 March 1871. p. 1425.
12. "No. 23902". The London Gazette. 27 September 1872. p. 4489.
13. "No. 8842". The Edinburgh Gazette. 9 November 1877. p. 817.
14. "No. 24788". The London Gazette. 2 December 1879. p. 7149.
15. Treaty Between Great Britain And Luxemburg For The Mutual Surrender Of Fugitive Criminals, 24 November 1880 – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
16. "No. 25592". The London Gazette. 29 May 1886. p. 2635.
17. Obituary, The Times, London, 2 April 1896, page 10
18. "Obituaries - Lady Stuart". The Times (36345). London. 7 January 1901. p. 7.

External links

• Catalogue of the Papers of Sir Andrew Buchanan, University of Nottingham
• Sir William Stuart: Papers – The National Archives
• Bolton Churchyard, East Lothian – The Scottish War Graves Project

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by William Lowther	Minister Plenipotentiary to the Argentine Republic 1868–1872	Succeeded by Lionel Sackville-West
Preceded by Hon. Edward Erskine	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of the Hellenes 1872–1877	Succeeded by Edwin Corbett
Preceded by Hon. Edward Harris	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of the Netherlands 1877–1888	Succeeded by Sir Horace Rumbold, Bt