Julian Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Encyclopedia
Julian Edward George Asquith, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith KCMG
(22 April 1916 – 16 January 2011), was a British colonial administrator.
, a barrister, by his wife the former Katherine Horner. He was the grandson of H. H. Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith
, British Prime Minister
from 1908 until 1916. Lord Oxford's two older sisters both predeceased him; the younger of these was Lady Perdita Rose Mary Asquith, later Lady Hylton (1910—1996), who was married to William Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton
.
He inherited the earldom in 1928 on the death of his grandfather, as his father (the eldest son) had been killed in the First World War
. He was raised as a Roman Catholic (his mother had converted to Roman Catholicism in 1923) and was educated at St Ronan's School and Ampleforth College
. He then became a scholar at Balliol College, Oxford
, where he received an M.A.
In 1941 Asquith served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers
and Assistant DC Palestine (1942–48).
from 1949 to 1950, Director of Interior Tripolitania in 1951 and Advisor to the Prime Minister of Libya
in 1952. In 1955 he was Administrative Secretary of Zanzibar
and from 1958—62 was the Administrator of Saint Lucia
. He became a Companion of Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1961. Oxford was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles
from 1962 to 1967 and the Commander of the British Indian Ocean Territory
from 1965 to 1967. In 1964, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
. He also held the posts of Constitutional Commander of the Cayman Islands
in 1971, and Turks and Caicos Islands
from 1973-74.
, Somerset
), daughter of Sir (Charles) Michael Palairet KCMG (1882—1956) by his wife Mary de Vere Studd, on 28 August 1947 at the Brompton Oratory. Anne Oxford was also a Roman Catholic via her parents' conversions. The Countess of Oxford and Asquith died in 1998, leaving five children: two sons, both diplomats, and three daughters (the middle married to another diplomat).
Lord Oxford inherited the Mells
Estate from his mother Katherine Asquith, younger daughter of Sir John Horner of Mells and his wife Frances Graham.
Lord Oxford died, aged 94, on 16 January 2011. The peerage, which he had held for over eighty years, passed to his elder son, Raymond (b. 1952), a former British diplomat. His younger son the Honourable Dominic Asquith
is British Ambassador to Egypt as of 2007, and a former British Ambassador to Iraq.
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....
(22 April 1916 – 16 January 2011), was a British colonial administrator.
Background and education
Asquith was the only son of Raymond AsquithRaymond Asquith
Raymond Asquith was an English barrister and eldest son and heir of British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith by his first wife Helen Kelsall Melland .- Career and honours :...
, a barrister, by his wife the former Katherine Horner. He was the grandson of H. H. Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
from 1908 until 1916. Lord Oxford's two older sisters both predeceased him; the younger of these was Lady Perdita Rose Mary Asquith, later Lady Hylton (1910—1996), who was married to William Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton
William Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton
William George Hervey Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton , was a British peer and soldier.Hylton was the son of Hylton Jolliffe, 3rd Baron Hylton, and Lady Alice Adeliza Hervey. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Coldstream Guards and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Somerset from 1949 to...
.
He inherited the earldom in 1928 on the death of his grandfather, as his father (the eldest son) had been killed in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was raised as a Roman Catholic (his mother had converted to Roman Catholicism in 1923) and was educated at St Ronan's School and Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
. He then became a scholar at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he received an M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
In 1941 Asquith served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and Assistant DC Palestine (1942–48).
Career
Lord Oxford was Deputy Chairman Secretary of the British Administration TripolitaniaTripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
from 1949 to 1950, Director of Interior Tripolitania in 1951 and Advisor to the Prime Minister of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in 1952. In 1955 he was Administrative Secretary of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
and from 1958—62 was the Administrator of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
. He became a Companion of Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1961. Oxford was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
from 1962 to 1967 and the Commander of the British Indian Ocean Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia...
from 1965 to 1967. In 1964, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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....
. He also held the posts of Constitutional Commander of the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
in 1971, and Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
from 1973-74.
Family
Lord Oxford married Anne Mary Celestine Palairet (14 November 1916 Paris — 19 August 1998 at FromeFrome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
), daughter of Sir (Charles) Michael Palairet KCMG (1882—1956) by his wife Mary de Vere Studd, on 28 August 1947 at the Brompton Oratory. Anne Oxford was also a Roman Catholic via her parents' conversions. The Countess of Oxford and Asquith died in 1998, leaving five children: two sons, both diplomats, and three daughters (the middle married to another diplomat).
Lord Oxford inherited the Mells
Mells, Somerset
Mells is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, near the town of Frome.The parish includes the village of Vobster which had a coal mine of the same name on the Somerset coalfield and quarry, both of which are now disused. The old quarry is now used as a diving centre...
Estate from his mother Katherine Asquith, younger daughter of Sir John Horner of Mells and his wife Frances Graham.
Lord Oxford died, aged 94, on 16 January 2011. The peerage, which he had held for over eighty years, passed to his elder son, Raymond (b. 1952), a former British diplomat. His younger son the Honourable Dominic Asquith
Dominic Asquith
The Honourable Dominic Anthony Gerard Asquith CMG is a British diplomat. He was British Ambassador to Iraq between 2006 and 2007 and has been British Ambassador to Egypt since 2007.-Background and education:...
is British Ambassador to Egypt as of 2007, and a former British Ambassador to Iraq.
Sources
- Who's Who 2007 "Oxford and Asquith, The Earl of" and "Asquith, Dominic"
- "Obituary: The Countess of Oxford and Asquith", Daily Telegraph, 1998.
- John Joliffe. "Obituary: The Countess of Oxford and Asquith" The Independent, 7 September 1998, available online.
- Burke's Peerage & Landed Gentry: Oxford and Asquith, full article only by subscription.