Henry Alfred Cumberbatch CMG | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 June 1858 |
| Died | 3 December 1918 (aged 60) |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
| Spouse | Helene Gertrude Rees |
| Children | 5, including Henry Carlton Cumberbatch |
| Parent(s) | Robert William Cumberbatch Louisa Grace Hanson |
| Family | Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (grandson) Benedict Cumberbatch (great-grandson) |
| Awards | Order of St Michael & St George |
Henry Alfred Cumberbatch[1] CMG[1] (27 June 1858[1] – 3 December 1918[1]) was a British diplomat who served as a Consul in Romania, Turkey and Lebanon.
Cumberbatch was born in Berdiansk,[1] (then part of the Russian Empire, now Ukraine), the son of Robert William Cumberbatch, who was Consul there, and his wife Louisa Grace (née Hanson).[1][2][3] He was educated at Christ's College, Finchley.[1][4]
August 1, 1876, at the age of 18, Cumberbatch was appointed student dragoman in the Embassy in Constantinople.[2][3] Cumberbatch followed his father into the diplomatic service, being appointed Vice-Consul at Bucharest, Romania, on 26 July 1879,[5] later transferring to Sulina, before being promoted to Consul at Adrianople in the Ottoman Empire (now Edirne, Turkey) on 20 March 1888.[6] He was transferred to Angora on 22 July 1893,[7] and while serving as Consul there was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 20 May 1896.[8] He was appointed Consul at Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) on 18 November 1896,[9] and Consul-General there from 1 April 1900.[10] Cumberbatch was mentioned by Gertrude Bell in her works after a meeting in 1907.[11] On 22 January 1908 Cumberbatch was appointed Consul-General for the Vilayet of Beirut and the Mutessariflik of the Lebanon, resident at Beirut,[12] serving there until 1914.[13]
Cumberbatch died 3 December 1918 and was buried 7 December 1918 at Brompton Cemetery, London.[1]
Cumberbatch married Helene Gertrude Rees, daughter of Thomas Bowen Rees and American born Ida Josephine Langdon, in Smyrna on 16 January 1891.[1][11] Their children were:
Present descendants include his great-grandson, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, son of actor Timothy Carlton and grandson of Henry Carlton[17] as well as descendants of Robert Cecil[15] who married Nora Skender of Athens and Ida Sybil who married Henry Alwyn Barker of Alexandria.