James Colquhoun
Encyclopedia
James Colquhoun was a British diplomat who represented the interests of various German cities in Great Britain.
, who became Lord Provost of Glasgow and was a pioneer of modern policing methods. He entered St John's College, Cambridge
in 1797 but left in 1798.
He was private secretary to Henry Dundas
in 1806. In 1809, he was Deputy Agent-General for the payment of volunteers organized under the Volunteer Act 1804 (44 Geo.3 c.54) for the defence of Britain in the Napoleonic Wars
.
Between 1817 and 1855 he was Consul-General in Great Britain for the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg
, Bremen
and Lübeck
, signing commercial treaties on their behalf not just with Britain but with various other countries. In 1827 he became the consul-general in England representing King Anton of Saxony
, and in 1848, he was appointed by Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
to be his chargé d'Affaires in London. He received the star of a Commander of the Royal Saxon Order of Civil Merit, and assumed the title of Chevalier de Colquhoun. At various times he also represented the interests of the legislatures of Saint Vincent
and other West Indies islands.
He was elected a fellow of the University of Glasgow
, from which he also received an honorary LL.D.
degree.
He had three sons and two daughters; his eldest son Patrick Colquhoun
was a lawyer and a rower, and followed in his footsteps as a diplomat representing German cities.
Biography
He was the only son of Patrick ColquhounPatrick Colquhoun
Patrick Colquhoun was a Scottish merchant, statistician, magistrate, and founder of the first regular preventive police force in England, the Thames River Police.-Early life:...
, who became Lord Provost of Glasgow and was a pioneer of modern policing methods. He entered St John's College, Cambridge
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....
in 1797 but left in 1798.
He was private secretary to Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
in 1806. In 1809, he was Deputy Agent-General for the payment of volunteers organized under the Volunteer Act 1804 (44 Geo.3 c.54) for the defence of Britain in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Between 1817 and 1855 he was Consul-General in Great Britain for the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, signing commercial treaties on their behalf not just with Britain but with various other countries. In 1827 he became the consul-general in England representing King Anton of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
, and in 1848, he was appointed by Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1829 to 1853.-Family:Augustus was born to the then Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife Duchess Frederica of Württemberg, a daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg...
to be his chargé d'Affaires in London. He received the star of a Commander of the Royal Saxon Order of Civil Merit, and assumed the title of Chevalier de Colquhoun. At various times he also represented the interests of the legislatures of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
and other West Indies islands.
He was elected a fellow of the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, from which he also received an honorary LL.D.
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
degree.
He had three sons and two daughters; his eldest son Patrick Colquhoun
Patrick Colquhoun (lawyer)
Sir Patrick Colquhoun QC was a British diplomat, legal writer and sculler who was considered the father of Cambridge rowing....
was a lawyer and a rower, and followed in his footsteps as a diplomat representing German cities.