Charles Lennox Wyke

Biography

Wyke was born on 2 September 1815, was the son of George Wyke, of Robbleston, Pembrokeshire, captain in the Grenadier Guards, by his wife Charlotte, daughter of F. Meyrick. He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, and afterwards a captain on the King of Hanover's staff. In 1847 he was appointed vice-consul at Port-au-Prince, and in 1852 consul-general in Central America. On 31 October 1854 he was appointed chargé d'affaires, and on 8 August 1859 he was nominated envoy extraordinary. In the same year he was gazetted C.B., and on 23 January 1860 was removed to Mexico as minister plenipotentiary to the republic, and created K.C.B. on 22 May. On 30 June 1861 Juarez was elected president of the Mexican republic with dictatorial powers, and on 17 July the congress suspended payment of public bonds for two years. In consequence France and England broke off diplomatic relations with the republic on 27 July, and Wyke left the city of Mexico in December with all his staff, but remained in Mexico to carry on the negotiations connected with the joint intervention of England, France, and Spain. When the design of France, however, to subvert the Mexican government became apparent, England and Spain withdrew from the alliance, and Wyke returned home. On 19 January 1866 he was accredited to Hanover, but in September his mission was cut short by the Austro-Prussian war and the annexation of Hanover by Prussia. In the following year he was appointed (on 16 December) minister at Copenhagen, where he remained for fourteen years. In August 1879 he was created G.C.M.G., and on 22 June 1881 he was transferred to Portugal, where he remained till the close of his diplomatic career. He retired on a pension on 21 February 1884, and was nominated a Privy Councillor on 6 Feb. 1886. Wyke died unmarried on 4 October 1897 at his residence, 23 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London.