Daily News (London)/1880/Obituary: George Hamilton Seymour

OBITUARY.

Sir George Hamilton Seymour, G.C.B., G.C.H., who acted as British Minister at St. Petersburg at the time of the outbreak of the war with Russia in 1854, died at his residence, 10, Grosvenor-crescent, on Monday morning, at the advanced age of 82. Until lately, Sir Hamilton had been in the enjoyment of full health, but on Thursday morning he was taken ill, and he never since rallied, passing away quietly early on Monday morning. The deceased diplomatist was the eldest son of the late Lord George Seymour, seventh son of the first Marquis of Hertford, by his union with Isabella, a daughter of the Hon. and Rev. George Hamilton, and was born on September 21, 1797. He received his education at Merton College, Oxford, where he graduated in due course as B.A. in 1818, and took his M.A. degree in 1823, In 1817, at the age of 20, he entered the diplomatic service, becoming an attaché at the Hague, and in 1819 was appointed précis writer and private secretary to Viscount Castlereagh. Three years later, in October, 1822, he was attached to a special mission to Verona, aud in the following year was Secretary of Legation at Frankfort, whence he was transferred in the same capacity, first to Stuttgart, and afterwards to Berlin. In 1829 he became secretary to the Embassay at Constantinople, and in 1830 proceeded to Florence as Minister Resident. In 1835 he was sent to Brussels as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, and occupied this post for ten years. In December, 1846, he was transferred in the same capacity to Lisbon, and in 1851 to St. Petersburg, whence he was recalled in March, 1854, on the proclamation of war between England and Russia. In December, 1855, Sir Hamilton Seymour was appointed to represent the Court of St. James's at Vienna, and discharged his duties there with considerable address and ability during a very critical period, namely, during the concluding phases of the Russian war and the conferences and Congress at Vienna. In March, 1858, he retired on a diplomatic pension, and has since lived the life of a private gentleman. Sir George Hamilton Seymour, who was a member of the Privy Council, married in July, 1831, the Hon. Gertrude, daughter of Henry, 21st Lord Dacre, and leaves a numuerous issue, the eldest son having been a second secretary in her Majesty’s diplomatic service, and the second a lieutenant-colonel on the retired list in the Grenadier Guards; while of his three daughters, one is married to Hugh, second Lord Delamere, and another to Lieutenant-Colenel Crichton Stuart M.P., first cousin of the Marquis of Bute.