Edward John Harding
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward John Harding GCMG, KCB, MA (1880–1954) was a prominent British
civil servant and diplomat
and former High Commissioner to South Africa.
, Essex
. He was the son of John and Laura Harding, his father being a vicar. Although born in Essex, the family, consisting of Edward, his parents and his older sisters Eleanor and Evelyn, moved early in his life to Beckenham where his father became the parish vicar. He was educated first at a private preparatory school, the Abbey School in Beckenham
, from 1889 to 1893. He then had a brief period at a school in Margate
and from 1895 was educated at Dulwich College
. From Dulwich he gained a scholarship to study at Hertford College, Oxford
In 1925 he became both the Deputy Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs and Assistant Permanent Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs. He then became the Permanent Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs in 1930, where he served until 1939. His Assistant Undersecretary was Sir Harry Batterbee
, who was married to Harding's sister. Batterbee in 1939 became the British High Commissioner to New Zealand. After leaving the Dominions Office Harding was appointed the British High Commissioner to South Africa in which capacity he served from 1940 until 1941.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil servant and 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 former High Commissioner to South Africa.
Early life
Edward John Harding was born in 1880 in WeeleyWeeley
Weeley is a small village in Tendring, East Essex, England. It is served by Weeley railway station on the Sunshine Coast Line, with services operated by National Express East Anglia. It is open Monday - Saturday but closed Sundays. It has bus links to Clacton-on-sea and ColchesterIt was host to the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. He was the son of John and Laura Harding, his father being a vicar. Although born in Essex, the family, consisting of Edward, his parents and his older sisters Eleanor and Evelyn, moved early in his life to Beckenham where his father became the parish vicar. He was educated first at a private preparatory school, the Abbey School in Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, from 1889 to 1893. He then had a brief period at a school in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
and from 1895 was educated at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
. From Dulwich he gained a scholarship to study at Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
Diplomatic career
Harding was a career diplomat. He became Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Natural Resources, Trade and Legislation of Certain Portions of His Majesty's Dominions in December 1912 and accompanied the commission on all of its overseas visits: Australia and New Zealand (1913), South Africa (1914) and Canada (1914 and 1916). The long, informal letters he wrote to members of his family during these visits constituted a diary and are held as the "Dominions Royal Commission diary letters" by Cambridge University Library (Royal Commonwealth Society Library).In 1925 he became both the Deputy Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs and Assistant Permanent Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs. He then became the Permanent Undersecretary of State for Dominion Affairs in 1930, where he served until 1939. His Assistant Undersecretary was Sir Harry Batterbee
Harry Batterbee
Sir Harry Batterbee GCMG KCVO MA was a prominent British civil servant and diplomat and first British High Commissioner to New Zealand.-Early life:Harry Batterbee was born in 1880 in Faversham in his parents' house at 62 Newton Road...
, who was married to Harding's sister. Batterbee in 1939 became the British High Commissioner to New Zealand. After leaving the Dominions Office Harding was appointed the British High Commissioner to South Africa in which capacity he served from 1940 until 1941.