Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon
Encyclopedia
Hugh Mackintosh Foot, Baron Caradon, GCMG
KCVO
OBE
PC
(8 October 1907 – 5 September 1990) was a British
colonial administrator and diplomat who oversaw moves to independence in various colonies and was UK representative to the United Nations
.
Foot was educated at Leighton Park School
in Reading, Berkshire
, and at St John's College
at the University of Cambridge
where he was President of the Cambridge Union and the Cambridge University Liberal Club. He was the son of solicitor and Liberal Party
MP
Isaac Foot
, and brother of the MP Sir Dingle Foot
, the life peer Lord John Foot
, and Labour Party
MP and party leader (1980–83) Michael Foot
. He was the father of the late Paul Foot
, a journalist
, and Oliver Foot
, an actor
.
Foot's career in the diplomatic service was long and distinguished. During the Second World War
, he was British Military Administrator of Cyrenaica
, 1943 then Colonial Secretary of Cyprus
, 1943-1945. After the War, he served as Colonial Secretary of Jamaica
, 1945–1947, Chief Secretary for Nigeria
, 1947–1950 and Captain General and Governor in Chief of Jamaica, 1951-1957.
He returned to Cyprus as the last colonial Governor and Commander in Chief, 1957-1960. In 1961, he became British Ambassador to the United Nations Trusteeship Council. After Harold Wilson
won the 1964 election
, Foot became Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and British Ambassador to the United Nations from 1964-1970. After his retirement, he became a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University
and Princeton University
.
Foot was created a life peer
as Baron Caradon, of St Cleer in the County of Cornwall, in 1964, the title referring to Caradon Hill
on Bodmin Moor
. Lord Caradon occupied Trematon Castle
as his country home.
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....
KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
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...
(8 October 1907 – 5 September 1990) was a British
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...
colonial administrator and diplomat who oversaw moves to independence in various colonies and was UK representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Foot was educated at Leighton Park School
Leighton Park School
Leighton Park School is a co-educational Quaker independent school for both day and boarding pupils. It is situated in the large town of Reading in Berkshire, in South East England...
in Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, and at St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where he was President of the Cambridge Union and the Cambridge University Liberal Club. He was the son of solicitor and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP
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,...
Isaac Foot
Isaac Foot
-Early life:Isaac Foot was born in Plymouth, the son of a carpenter and undertaker, and educated at Plymouth Public School and the Hoe Grammar School, which he left at the age of 14. He then worked at the Admiralty in London, but returned to Plymouth to train as a solicitor...
, and brother of the MP Sir Dingle Foot
Dingle Foot
Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot, Q.C. was a British lawyer and politician, born in Plymouth, Devon.-Education and career:...
, the life peer Lord John Foot
John Foot, Baron Foot
John Mackintosh Foot, Baron Foot was a Liberal politician and Life Peer.Foot was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of Isaac Foot and the brother of Sir Dingle Foot, QC, Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon and Michael Foot. His nephew was the late journalist Paul Foot...
, and Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP and party leader (1980–83) Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
. He was the father of the late Paul Foot
Paul Foot
Paul Mackintosh Foot was a British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party...
, a journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, and Oliver Foot
Oliver Foot
The Hon. Oliver Isaac Foot was a British actor, philanthropist, charity worker and Christian.-Early life:...
, an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Foot's career in the diplomatic service was long and distinguished. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was British Military Administrator of Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
, 1943 then Colonial Secretary of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, 1943-1945. After the War, he served as Colonial Secretary of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, 1945–1947, Chief Secretary for Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, 1947–1950 and Captain General and Governor in Chief of Jamaica, 1951-1957.
He returned to Cyprus as the last colonial Governor and Commander in Chief, 1957-1960. In 1961, he became British Ambassador to the United Nations Trusteeship Council. After Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
won the 1964 election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, Foot became Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and British Ambassador to the United Nations from 1964-1970. After his retirement, he became a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Foot was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Caradon, of St Cleer in the County of Cornwall, in 1964, the title referring to Caradon Hill
Caradon Hill
Caradon Hill is on Bodmin Moor in the former Caradon district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The summit is above mean sea level.The hill was once famous for its copper mines but these are now closed. The South Caradon Copper Mine, 1 km to the SW of the transmitter, was the largest copper mine...
on Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
. Lord Caradon occupied Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle is situated near Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle, with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound and was built probably by Robert, Count of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort: it is a...
as his country home.
External links
- Entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica