Francis Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow

Francis Edward Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow KCMG (March 9, 1912 - March 24, 2013 ), known as Francis Cumming-Bruce during his time in the civil service , was a British nobleman and diplomat . He served as British High Commissioner in New Zealand (1959–1963) and Nigeria (1963–1966) and as Governor of the Bahamas (1968–1972).

Life

Early years

He was the second born of four sons of Charles Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 6th Baron Thurlow , a clergyman of the Anglican Church , and his wife Grace Catherine nee. Trotter. The father was a foreign missionary for a period and then became pastor of Sedgefield , County Durham . Francis' identical twin, Roualeyn , was born ten minutes after him. The brother later acted as Lord Justice of Appeal and the two were closely related until Roualeyn's death in 2000.

The twins attended Shrewsbury School , where they served in turn as student representatives . After that, both studied at the University of Cambridge - Francis at Trinity College and Roualeyn at Magdalene College . The economist John Maynard Keynes was one of her professors . During their time in Cambridge, the brothers joined the Communist Party of Britain . However, they soon came to the conclusion that communism could not be reconciled with their Christian faith and left the party again.

Working as a diplomat

Upon graduation, Francis passed the public service entrance exam . In 1939, he was briefly deputy head of cabinet of Thomas Inskip , Minister for the Dominions in the cabinet of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain . During the Second World War he held diplomatic posts in countries that were not directly affected by the war. He served on the staff of the British High Commissioner in New Zealand for five years . From 1944 to 1946 he served in Ottawa on the staff of the High Commissioner in Canada , Malcolm MacDonald .

After returning to Europe in 1946, he took part in a number of important international conferences: the meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth , the Paris Peace Conference and the first General Assembly of the United Nations , which met in London . Cumming-Bruce was Head of Cabinet to Ernest Bevin, UK Secretary of State, and then Deputy Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs for a year.

He then returned to diplomatic posts abroad and served in Delhi and Accra . In 1955, Cumming-Bruce was considered for the post of Head of Cabinet to newly appointed Prime Minister Anthony Eden , but his previous membership of the Communist Party stood in the way of his appointment. He was appointed Deputy High Commissioner in Ghana in 1957 and the same post in Canada a year later. He served as High Commissioner in New Zealand from 1959 to 1963, during which time he developed a deep affection for the country. In 1959 he was named Companion and in 1961 Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George .

From 1964 to 1966 he was High Commissioner in Nigeria . It was his most difficult diplomatic mission to date, as the assassination of Nigerian Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the outbreak of civil war in the West African state took place at this time . In 1966 he returned to London, where he stayed for two years. From 1968, Cumming-Bruce served as the last royal governor and commander-in-chief in the Bahamas , a primarily ceremonial position. From 1969 he had the title of Commonwealth Governor there, although the Bahamas only became independent in 1973 and then became a member of the Commonwealth. He remained stationed on the island nation until 1972; it was his last diplomatic post.

Later life, private matters and death

Francis has been the 8th Baron Thurlow since the death of his older brother Henry in 1971. He sat in on the Thames located Mapledurham in Oxfordshire down. He took his position as a member of the House of Lords very seriously. As a politically independent crossbencher , he took an active part in the deliberations of the House of Lords, with his main interests being in the field of foreign policy and legislation for the mentally ill. When in 1999 the House of Lords Act , initiated by Prime Minister Tony Blair 's government, abolished the right to hereditary seats in the Chamber of Parliament, the then almost 90-year-old Baron Thurlow renounced the Crossbenchers for one of the new eligible seats to be considered by nobles and resigned from the House of Lords.

He had a wide-ranging interest in the arts and in the culture of the countries with which he came into contact in the diplomatic service. In old age, Baron Thurlow became a follower of the Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong .

Since 1949 Cumming-Bruce was born with Yvonne Dianna. Wilson married. The two had two sons and daughters each. The younger son Peter died in 1985. After the death of his wife in 1990, Baron Thurlow lived alternately in an apartment in London and in a country house in North Devon .

Francis Edward Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 8th Baron Thurlow died on March 24, 2013 at the age of 101. His son, Roualeyn , born in 1952, became the 9th Baron Thurlow on his death.

literature

• "Lord Thurlow". Telegraph obituary dated March 25, 2013.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ "8th Baron Thurlow KCMG 1912-2013". Obituary of the Peerage News website on March 25, 2013. Accessed March 30, 2013.
2. ↑ "8th Baron Thurlow KCMG 1912-2013". Obituary of the website Peerage News from March 25, 2013.