Henry Drummond Wolff

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Caricature from Punch, 1882

Sir Henry Drummond-Wolff (1830 - October 11, 1908), son of Joseph Wolff, was a well-known English - Jewish [Biography of Joseph Woolf at the Jewish Encyclopedia] diplomat and Conservative politician, who started as a clerk in the Foreign Office and was created KCMG in 1862 for various services abroad.

In 1874-1880 he sat in parliament for Christchurch, and in 1880-1885 for Portsmouth, being one of the group known as the Fourth Party. In 1885 he went on a special mission to Constantinople in connection with the Egyptian question, and as a result various awkward difficulties, hinging on the Sultan's suzerainty, were addressed. In 1888 he was sent as minister to Teheran, and from 1892 to 1900 was ambassador at Madrid.

Sir Henry was a notable raconteur, and he did good service to the Conservative Party by helping to found the Primrose League. He was created GCMG in 1878 and GCB in 1889. His grandson, Henry Maxence Cavendish Drummond Wolff was also briefly a Conservative Member of Parliament.

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