Catalogue description Sir Arthur Nicholson, 1st Baron Carnock: Papers

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Details of PRO 30/81
Reference: PRO 30/81
Title: Sir Arthur Nicholson, 1st Baron Carnock: Papers
Description:

Journals, letterbooks and original correspondence of Sir Arthur Nicholson relating mainly to his diplomatic posts in Asia Minor from 1885 to 1896 and as ambassador in St. Petersburg from 1906 to 1910.

Date: 1884-1933
Related material:

-381

Sir Arthur Nicolson's official papers are in FO 800/336

Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Not Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Baronet and 1st Baron Carnock, 1849-1928

Physical description: 17 volume(s)
Immediate source of acquisition:

Nigel Nicolson, 1917-

Administrative / biographical background:

Sir Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock (1849-1928) was educated at Rugby and Brasenose College, Oxford and joined the Foreign Office in 1870. After appointments in Berlin and Peking he was sent to Constantinople, where he was for a time inspector of consulates in Asia Minor; then successively to Athens as charge d'affaires and Teheran as secretary of the legation.

In 1888 Nicolson was made KCIE and moved to Budapest as consul-general. In 1893 he returned to Constantinople as secretary, then transferred to Sofia as agent, and in 1895 to Tangier as minister, where he remained until 1904. In that year he became ambassador in Madrid, an appointment interrupted by his involvement in the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Algeciras of 1905, for which he was made GCVO and in the following year GCMG.

In 1906 Nicolson was appointed Ambassador in St. Petersburg and was instrumental in the drawing up of the Anglo-Russian Agreement in 1907, after which he was made GCB. In 1910 he was appointed Permanent Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and until 1914 sought to avert conflict with Germany.

Nicolson retired in 1916 and was created Baron Carnock; thereafter he undertook the work of liaison between the Foreign Office and Buckingham Palace. Besides his English honours, Nicolson was decorated by France, Spain and Russia.

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