Francis Oswald Lindley

The Honourable Sir Francis Oswald Lindley GCMG CB CBE (12 June 1872 – 17 August 1950) was a British diplomat who was HM Consul-General in Russia in 1919, British High Commissioner in Vienna 1919–1920, Ambassador to Austria 1920–1921, Ambassador to Greece 1922–1923, Minister in Oslo 1923–1929, Ambassador to Portugal 1929–1931, and finally Ambassador to Japan 1931–1934.

Early life

The fourth son of Nathaniel Lindley, Baron Lindley, he was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College, Oxford.

In 1903, Lindley married Etheldreda Mary Fraser, third daughter of Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat. They had four daughters, and his wife died in 1949.

Career

Lindley became an Attaché in 1896 and a Clerk at the Foreign Office in 1897. He was appointed Acting Third Secretary in Vienna in 1899, and served in Tehran from 1900 to 1901. Promoted Second Secretary in the Diplomatic Service, 1902, before serving the Egyptian Government from 1902 to 1904, he was next in HM Agency in Cairo for two years, then in Tokyo from 1906 to 1908, returning to London for a home posting in the Foreign Office, 1908–1909. He was promoted First Secretary in the Diplomatic Service in 1909 and served in Sofia, 1909–1911, Christiania, 1912, and as Counsellor of the British Embassy at Petrograd, 1915.

More senior postings came after the Great War. Lindley was appointed HM Commissioner in Russia in June 1918 and HM Consul-General there in 1919. He was High Commissioner in Vienna from 1919 to 1920. He was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Austria between 1920 and 1921, to Ambassador to Greece between 1922 and 1923, Minister in Oslo from 1923 to 1929; Ambassador to Portugal from 1929 to 1931, and finally Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan from 1931 to 1934, when he retired.

Combined English Universities by-election, 1937

Later life

In retirement, Lindley lived at The Weir House, Alresford, Hampshire, and in 1934 was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the county. He belonged to the Turf Club and Brooks's. He was an official Verderer to the New Forest from 1943.

Publications

• A Diplomat off Duty, Ernest Benn Limited, London, 1928 (second edition 1947)
• Lord Lovat: a biography, Hutchinson & Co. Ltd, London, 1935
• The tragedy of Spain, Loxley Brothers Ltd, London, 1937 (reprinted from the National Review, February 1937)

Honours

• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), 1917
• Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), 1919
• Knight Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), 1926
• Privy Counsellor (PC), 1929
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG), 1931