Sir Edmund Monson, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Edmund John Monson, 1st Baronet GCMG
, PC
(6 October 1834—28 October 1909) was a British diplomat.
the third son of William John Monson, 6th Baron Monson
. He was educated at Eton College
and then Balliol College, Oxford
, graduating in 1855, and was elected as a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
in 1858.
called him 'one of the best and most intelligent attachés he ever had'. This secured him an appointment as private secretary to Lord Lyons
, the newly appointed British minister in Washington late in 1858. He then transferred to Hanover and Brussels as Third Secretary, but left the diplomatic service in 1865 to stand for Parliament, failing to get elected as Member of Parliament
for Reigate
.
Monson returned to the diplomatic service in 1869, being appointed Consul in the Azores in 1869; Consul-General in Budapest in 1871 and Second Secretary in Vienna; and to other posts, including as a special envoy in Dalmatia and Montenegro in 1876-77.
In 1879, he was sent as minister-resident and consul-general in Uruguay, where he served until 1884. In 1881, during his time there he married Eleanor Catherine Mary Munro, the daughter of a previous consul-general. In 1884, he became minister in Argentina and Paraguay, but quickly in Europe as envoy successively to Copenhagen (1884–88), Athens (1888–92), and Brussels (1892–3). In 1893, he was promoted to ambassador, serving in Vienna until 1896 and then Paris until his retirement in 1904.
He was appointed K.C.M.G. in 1886, and G.C.M.G. in 1896. He was sworn to the Privy Council in 1893 and made a baronet
in 1905.
was also a diplomat.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(6 October 1834—28 October 1909) was a British diplomat.
Background and education
Monson was born at Seal, KentSeal, Kent
Seal is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located in the valley between the North Downs and the Greensand ridge to the north east of Sevenoaks town....
the third son of William John Monson, 6th Baron Monson
Baron Monson
Baron Monson, of Burton in the County of Lincolnshire, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1728 for Sir John Monson, 5th Baronet. The Monson family descends from Thomas Monson, of Carleton, Lincolnshire. He sat as Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire, Castle Rising and...
. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, graduating in 1855, and was elected as a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
in 1858.
Diplomatic career
Monson entered the British diplomatic service in 1856, serving as an unpaid attaché, where Lord CowleyHenry Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley
Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley KG GCB PC , known as The Lord Cowley between 1847 and 1857, was a British diplomat...
called him 'one of the best and most intelligent attachés he ever had'. This secured him an appointment as private secretary to Lord Lyons
Richard Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons
Richard Bickerton Pemell Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons, GCB, GCMG, PC, DCL was an eminent British diplomat.-Biography:...
, the newly appointed British minister in Washington late in 1858. He then transferred to Hanover and Brussels as Third Secretary, but left the diplomatic service in 1865 to stand for Parliament, failing to get elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Reigate
Reigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a 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.-Boundaries:...
.
Monson returned to the diplomatic service in 1869, being appointed Consul in the Azores in 1869; Consul-General in Budapest in 1871 and Second Secretary in Vienna; and to other posts, including as a special envoy in Dalmatia and Montenegro in 1876-77.
In 1879, he was sent as minister-resident and consul-general in Uruguay, where he served until 1884. In 1881, during his time there he married Eleanor Catherine Mary Munro, the daughter of a previous consul-general. In 1884, he became minister in Argentina and Paraguay, but quickly in Europe as envoy successively to Copenhagen (1884–88), Athens (1888–92), and Brussels (1892–3). In 1893, he was promoted to ambassador, serving in Vienna until 1896 and then Paris until his retirement in 1904.
He was appointed K.C.M.G. in 1886, and G.C.M.G. in 1896. He was sworn to the Privy Council in 1893 and made a baronet
Monson Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Monson family, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2008....
in 1905.
Family
His three sons all succeeded to this title. His second son, Sir Edmund Monson, 3rd BaronetSir Edmund Monson, 3rd Baronet
Sir Edmund St. John Debonnaire John Monson, 3rd Baronet, K.C.M.G. was a British diplomat.Monson was the second son of Sir Edmund Monson, 1st Baronet and succeeded his elder brother to the baronetcy created in 1905 for his father...
was also a diplomat.