List of United States Ambassadors to the United Kingdom

The list of United States Ambassadors to the United Kingdom provides an overview of the heads of the United States Mission in London from the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1785 to the present day. The office of Ambassador (or former Minister / Envoy) to the United Kingdom is known to be the most traditional and prestigious position in the United States' external service . The post of ambassador was held by numerous important personalities, including the five later US Presidents John Adams , James Monroe , John Quincy Adams , Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan .

The embassy offices are located in Grosvenor Square in London , while Winfield House in Regent's Park serves as the ambassador's official residence .

list

title	Name (life data)	US state	appointment	Accreditation	End of mission	Remarks
Minister Plenipotentiary	John Adams (1735-1826)	Massachusetts	Feb. 24, 1785	June 1, 1785	Feb 20, 1788	had a farewell audience; also head of mission in the Netherlands
	Thomas Pinckney (1750-1828)	South carolina	Jan. 12, 1792	Aug 9, 1792	July 27, 1796	was recalled
	Rufus King (1755-1827)	new York	May 20, 1796	July 27, 1796	May 16, 1803	was recalled
	James Monroe (1758-1831)	Virginia	Apr 18, 1803	17 Aug 1803	Oct 7, 1807	was recalled
	William Pinkney (1764-1822)	Maryland	Feb. 26, 1808	Apr 27, 1808	May 7, 1811	left England
Charge d'Affaires	Jonathan Russell (1771-1832)	Rhode Island	July 27, 1811	Nov 15, 1811	July 29, 1812	United States declared war on June 18, 1812 ; Russell found out about this on July 29th and ended his official activities
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary	John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)	Massachusetts	Feb. 28, 1815	June 8, 1815	May 14, 1817	was recalled
	Richard Rush (1780-1859)	Pennsylvania	1817	Feb 12, 1818	Apr 27, 1825	was recalled
	Rufus King (1755-1827)	new York	May 5, 1825	Nov 11, 1825	June 23, 1826	was recalled
	Albert Gallatin (1761-1849)	Pennsylvania	May 10, 1826	Sep 1 1826	Oct. 4, 1827	retired from service
	James Barbour (1775-1842)	Virginia	May 23, 1828	Nov 24, 1828	Oct. 1, 1829	retired from service
	Louis McLane (1786-1857)	Delaware	Apr 18, 1829	Oct 12, 1829	June 13, 1831	had a farewell audience
	Martin Van Buren (1782–1862)	new York	Aug 1, 1831	21 Sep 1831	March 19, 1832	had a farewell audience
Charge d'Affaires	Aaron Vail (1796-1878)	new York	July 13, 1832	July 13, 1836	detached; Time of accreditation unknown
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary	Andrew Stevenson (1784-1857)	Virginia	March 16, 1836	July 13, 1836	Oct. 21, 1841	was recalled
	Edward Everett (1794-1865)	Massachusetts	13 Sep 1841	Dec 16, 1841	Aug 8, 1845	was recalled
	Louis McLane (1786-1857)	Maryland	June 16, 1845	Aug 8, 1845	Aug 18, 1846	was recalled
	George Bancroft (1800-1891)	new York	Sep 9 1846	Nov 12, 1846	Aug 31, 1849	was recalled
	Abbott Lawrence (1792-1855)	Massachusetts	Aug 20, 1849	Oct. 20, 1849	Oct 12, 1852	was recalled
	Joseph Reed Ingersoll (1786–1868)	Pennsylvania	Aug 21, 1852	Oct 16, 1852	23 Aug 1853	was recalled
	James Buchanan (1791–1868)	Pennsylvania	Apr 11, 1853	23 Aug 1853	March 15, 1856	was recalled
	George M. Dallas (1792–1864)	Pennsylvania	Feb. 4, 1856	Apr 4, 1856	May 16, 1861	was recalled
	Charles Francis Adams (1807-1886)	Massachusetts	March 20, 1861	May 16, 1861	May 13, 1868	was recalled
	Reverdy Johnson (1796–1876)	Maryland	June 12, 1868	Nov 14, 1868	May 13, 1869	resigned
	John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877)	Massachusetts	Apr 13, 1869	June 18, 1869	Dec 6, 1870	was recalled
	Robert Cumming Schenck (1809-1890)	Ohio	December 22, 1870	June 23, 1871	March 3, 1876	retired from service
	Edwards Pierrepont (1817-1892)	new York	May 22, 1876	July 11, 1876	Dec 22, 1877	was recalled
	John Welsh (1805-1886)	Pennsylvania	Nov 9, 1877	Dec 22, 1877	Aug 14, 1879	was recalled
	James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)	Massachusetts	Jan. 26, 1880	March 11, 1880	May 19, 1885	was recalled
	Edward John Phelps (1822-1900)	Vermont	March 23, 1885	May 19, 1885	Jan. 31, 1889	retired from service
	Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926)	Illinois	March 30, 1889	May 25, 1889	May 4, 1893	was recalled
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador	Thomas Francis Bayard (1828–1898)	Delaware	March 30, 1893	June 22, 1893	March 17, 1897	retired from service
	John Hay (1838-1905)	District of Columbia	March 19, 1897	May 3, 1897	Sep 12 1898	was recalled
	Joseph Hodges Choate (1832-1917)	new York	Jan. 19, 1899	March 6, 1899	May 23, 1905	was recalled
	Whitelaw Reid (1837-1912)	new York	March 8, 1905	June 5, 1905	Dec 15, 1912	died on duty
	Walter Hines Page (1855-1918)	new York	Apr 21, 1913	May 30, 1913	Oct 3, 1918	retired from service
	John William Davis (1873–1955)	West Virginia	Nov 21, 1918	Dec 18, 1918	March 9, 1921	left England
	George Brinton McClellan Harvey (1864-1928)	New Jersey	April 16, 1921	May 12, 1921	Nov 3, 1923	left England
	Frank Billings Kellogg (1856-1937)	Minnesota	December 11, 1923	Jan. 14, 1924	Feb 10, 1925	was recalled
	Alanson Bigelow Houghton (1863-1941)	new York	Feb. 24, 1925	Apr 27, 1925	March 28, 1929	retired from service
	Charles Gates Dawes (1865-1951)	Illinois	April 16, 1929	June 15, 1929	Dec 30, 1931	retired from service
	Andrew William Mellon (1855-1937)	Pennsylvania	Feb 5, 1932	Apr 9, 1932	March 17, 1933	left England
	Robert Worth Bingham (1871-1937)	Kentucky	March 23, 1933	May 23, 1933	Nov 19, 1937	left England
	Joseph Patrick Kennedy (1888–1969)	new York	Jan. 17, 1938	March 8, 1938	Oct 22, 1940	retired from service
	John Gilbert Winant (1889-1947)	New Hampshire	Feb 11, 1941	March 1, 1941	Apr 10, 1946
	William Averell Harriman (1891-1986)	new York	Apr 2, 1946	Apr 30, 1946	Oct. 1, 1946	retired from service
	Lewis Williams Douglas (1894–1974)	Arizona	March 6, 1947	March 25, 1947	Nov 16, 1950	retired from service
	Walter Sherman Gifford (1885–1966)	new York	Dec 12, 1950	Dec 21, 1950	Jan. 23, 1953	retired from service
	Winthrop Williams Aldrich (1885–1974)	new York	Feb. 2, 1953	Feb 20, 1953	Feb. 1, 1957	left England
	John Hay Whitney (1904-1982)	new York	Feb 11, 1957	Feb. 28, 1957	Jan. 14, 1961	retired from service
	David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce (1898–1977)	Maryland	Feb 22, 1961	March 17, 1961	March 20, 1969	retired from service
	Walter Hubert Annenberg (1908-2002)	Pennsylvania	March 14, 1969	Apr. 29, 1969	Oct. 30, 1974	retired from service
	Elliot Lee Richardson (1920-1999)	Massachusetts	Feb. 20, 1975	March 21, 1975	Jan. 16, 1976	retired from service
	Anne Legendre Armstrong (1927-2008)	Texas	Jan. 29, 1976	March 17, 1976	March 3, 1977	retired from service
	Kingman Brewster (1919-1988)	Connecticut	Apr 29, 1977	3rd June 1977	23 Feb 1981	retired from service
	John Jeffry Louis (1925-)	Illinois	May 7th 1981	May 27, 1981	Nov 7, 1983	resigned
	Charles Harry Price (1931-2012)	Missouri	Nov 11, 1983	Dec 20, 1983	Feb. 28, 1989	retired from service
	Henry Edward Catto (1930-2011)	Texas	Apr 14, 1989	May 17, 1989	March 13, 1991	retired from service
	Raymond George Hardenbergh Seitz (1940-)	Texas	Apr 25, 1991	June 25, 1991	May 10, 1994	retired from service
	William J. Crowe (1925-2007)	Virginia	May 13, 1994	June 2, 1994	Sep 20 1997	retired from service
	Philip Lader (1946-)	South carolina	Aug 1, 1997	22 Sep 1997	Feb 28, 2001	retired from service
	William Stamps Farish (1939-)	Texas	July 12, 2001	Aug 1, 2001	June 11, 2004	retired from service
	Robert Holmes Tuttle (1947–)	California	July 9, 2005	Oct 19, 2005	Feb 6, 2009	retired from service
	Louis B. Susman (1937-)	California	July 13, 2009	Oct 13, 2009	Apr 3, 2013	retired from service
	Matthew W. Barzun (1970–)	Kentucky	Aug 6, 2013	4th Dec. 2013	Jan. 18, 2017	retired from the service when the Trump administration took over
	Robert Wood Johnson (1947-)	New Jersey	22nd June 2017	29 Aug 2017

Web links

• American Ambassadors to the United Kingdom on the official website of the US Embassy in London
• Chiefs of Mission for United Kingdom on the official US State Department website