David Urquhart
Encyclopedia
David Urquhart was a Scottish
diplomat
and writer
.. He was a Member of Parliament 1847-52.
, Scotland
, Urquhart was educated, under the supervision of his widowed mother, in France
, Switzerland
, and Spain
. He returned to Britain in 1821 and spent a gap year
learning farming and working at the Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
before attending St John's College, Oxford
. He never completed his classics
degree as his mother's finances failed.
In 1854 Urquhart married Harriet Angelina Fortescue
and the couple had three sons (one of whom, William, died aged only thirteen months; Francis Fortescue Urquhart
was another), and two daughters. She wrote numerous articles in the Diplomatic Review under the signature of Caritas, and died in 1889.
. Seriously injured, he spent the next few years championing the Greek cause in letters to the British government, a self-promotion that entailed his appointment in 1831 to Sir Stratford Canning's mission to İstanbul
to settle the border between Greece
and Turkey
.
Urquhart's principal role was to nurture the support of Koca Mustafa Reşid Pasha
, intimate advisor to the Sultan Mahmud II
. He found himself increasingly attracted towards Turkish civilisation and culture, becoming alarmed at the threat of Russia
n intervention in the region. Urquhart's campaigning, including publication of Turkey and its Resources, culminated in his appointment on a trade mission to the region in 1833. He struck such an intimate relationship with the government in İstanbul that he became outspoken in his calls for British intervention on behalf of the Sultan against Muhammad Ali of Egypt
in opposition to the policy of Canning. He was recalled by Palmerston just as he published his violently anti-Russian pamphlet England, France, Russia and Turkey which brought him into conflict with Richard Cobden
.
In 1835 he was appointed secretary of embassy at İstanbul, but an unfortunate attempt
to counteract Russian aggressive designs in Circassia
, which threatened to lead to an international crisis, again led to his recall in 1837. In 1835, before leaving for the East, he founded a periodical called the Portfolio, and in the first issue printed a series of Russian state papers, which made a profound impression.. Urquhart was also the designer of the Circassian national flag.
as member for Stafford
, and carried on a vigorous campaign against Lord Palmerston's foreign policy.
The action of the United Kingdom in the Crimean War
provoked indignant protests from Urquhart, who contended that Turkey was in a position to fight her own battles without the assistance of other powers. To attack the government, he organized "foreign affairs committees" which became known as Urquhartite, throughout the country, and in 1856 (with finance from ironmaster George Crawshay) became the owner of the Free Press (in 1866 renamed the Diplomatic Review), which numbered among its contributors the socialist Karl Marx
. In 1860 he published his book on Lebanon
.
.
. Barter introduced them in his system of hydropathy at Blarney
, County Cork
. The Turkish baths in Jermyn Street
, London were built under Urquhart's direction.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.. He was a Member of Parliament 1847-52.
Early life and family
Born at Braelangwell CromartyCromarty
The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Urquhart was educated, under the supervision of his widowed mother, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He returned to Britain in 1821 and spent a gap year
Gap year
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...
learning farming and working at the Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
before attending St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
. He never completed his classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
degree as his mother's finances failed.
In 1854 Urquhart married Harriet Angelina Fortescue
Harriet Angelina Fortescue
Harriet Angelina Fortescue was a British writer on international affairs.She was the wife of diplomat David Urquhart and wrote numerous articles in his publication, the Diplomatic Review, under the signature of Caritas. A Memoir of Mrs. Urquhart was written by Maria Catherine Bishop.-External...
and the couple had three sons (one of whom, William, died aged only thirteen months; Francis Fortescue Urquhart
Francis Fortescue Urquhart
Francis Fortescue Urquhart was an English academic, the first Roman Catholic to act as a tutorial fellow in the University of Oxford since the 16th century.-Life:...
was another), and two daughters. She wrote numerous articles in the Diplomatic Review under the signature of Caritas, and died in 1889.
Role in Greece and Turkey
In 1827, Urquhart joined the nationalist cause in the Greek War of IndependenceGreek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. Seriously injured, he spent the next few years championing the Greek cause in letters to the British government, a self-promotion that entailed his appointment in 1831 to Sir Stratford Canning's mission to İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to settle the border between Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Urquhart's principal role was to nurture the support of Koca Mustafa Reşid Pasha
Koca Mustafa Resid Pasha
Mustafa Reshid Pasha was an Ottoman statesman and diplomat.Born in Istanbul, he entered the public service at an early age and rose rapidly, becoming ambassador in Paris and in London , minister for foreign affairs , again ambassador in London , and in Paris . Appointed governor of Adrianople in...
, intimate advisor to the Sultan Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
. He found himself increasingly attracted towards Turkish civilisation and culture, becoming alarmed at the threat of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n intervention in the region. Urquhart's campaigning, including publication of Turkey and its Resources, culminated in his appointment on a trade mission to the region in 1833. He struck such an intimate relationship with the government in İstanbul that he became outspoken in his calls for British intervention on behalf of the Sultan against Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
in opposition to the policy of Canning. He was recalled by Palmerston just as he published his violently anti-Russian pamphlet England, France, Russia and Turkey which brought him into conflict with Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
.
In 1835 he was appointed secretary of embassy at İstanbul, but an unfortunate attempt
Mission of the Vixen
The mission of the Vixen was a conflict between the Russian Empire and Great Britain that occurred in 1836.-Preconditions:Under the treaty of Adrianople the Russian Empire had been granted the East coast of the Black Sea by the Ottoman Empire. However Russia had no complete control over these...
to counteract Russian aggressive designs in Circassia
Circassia
Circassia was an independent mountainous country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia and was the largest and most important country in the Caucasus. Circassia was located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea...
, which threatened to lead to an international crisis, again led to his recall in 1837. In 1835, before leaving for the East, he founded a periodical called the Portfolio, and in the first issue printed a series of Russian state papers, which made a profound impression.. Urquhart was also the designer of the Circassian national flag.
Politics
From 1847 to 1852 he sat in parliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as member for Stafford
Stafford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stafford is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The sitting MP is the Conservative Jeremy Lefroy....
, and carried on a vigorous campaign against Lord Palmerston's foreign policy.
The action of the United Kingdom in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
provoked indignant protests from Urquhart, who contended that Turkey was in a position to fight her own battles without the assistance of other powers. To attack the government, he organized "foreign affairs committees" which became known as Urquhartite, throughout the country, and in 1856 (with finance from ironmaster George Crawshay) became the owner of the Free Press (in 1866 renamed the Diplomatic Review), which numbered among its contributors the socialist Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
. In 1860 he published his book on Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Later life
From 1864 until his death, Urquhart's health compelled him to live on the Continent, where he devoted his energies to promoting the study of international lawInternational law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
.
Promoter of the Turkish Bath
Urquhart introduced Turkish baths into Great Britain. He advocated their use in his book Pillars of Hercules (1850), which attracted the attention of the Irish physician Richard BarterRichard Barter
Richard Barter was an Irish physician and proponent of hydropathy. He collaborated with David Urquhart on the introduction of Turkish baths into the United Kingdom. Barter founded St Ann's Hydro, Ireland's first hydropathic establishment at St Ann's Hill, located near Cork.-Bibliography:...
. Barter introduced them in his system of hydropathy at Blarney
Blarney
Blarney is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It lies north-west of Cork and is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone.-Tourism:Blarney town is a major tourist attraction in County Cork...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The Turkish baths in Jermyn Street
Jermyn Street
Jermyn Street is a street in the City of Westminster, central London, to the south, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly.It is well known as a street where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the Gentleman's market and is famous for its resident shirtmakers Jermyn Street is a street in the...
, London were built under Urquhart's direction.
External links
- Catalogue of the Urquharts' correspondence (PDFPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
) at the Wellcome LibraryWellcome LibraryThe Wellcome Library is founded on the collection formed by Sir Henry Wellcome , whose personal wealth allowed him to create one of the most ambitious collections of the 20th century. Henry Wellcome's interest was the history of medicine in a broad sense and included subjects like alchemy or...
. - David Urquhart, “Materials for the True History of Lord Palmerston.,” 1866.