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Wade, Sir Thomas Francis, 1818-1895 (Knight, diplomat)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1818 - 1895

Biography

Sir Thomas Francis Wade (1818-1895) was born in London on 25 August 1818, son of Major (later Colonel) Thomas Wade (d. 1846). He lived in Mauritius, 1823-1827, and in the Cape, 1829-1832, before returning to England and attending Harrow, 1832-1837. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1837, but left to join the army in 1838. He was made lieutenant in 1841, and was posted to Hong Kong, where he arrived in 1842. During the voyage he studied Chinese, leading to his appointment as interpreter at Hong Kong, 1843-1851. He was made vice-consul at Shanghai in 1852, and Chinese Secretary at Hong Kong in 1855. At the outbreak of war in 1857 Wade was attached to Lord Elgin's special mission, and was given responsibility to negotiate the treaty of Tientsin with the Chinese authorities. He was also attached to Elgin's second mission in 1860. Wade was a member of the Peking legation, 1861-1871, and ambassador at Peking, 1871-1883. He retired in 1883, and on returning to England settled in Cambridge, where he became the university's first professor of Chinese in 1888. Wade published many papers on China and the Chinese language. His large Chinese library was left to the university after his death on 31 July 1895.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

 Fonds

Papers concerning General Charles George Gordon

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0012/MS Add.8128
Scope and Contents Material relating to General Gordon's visit to China in 1880, mainly correspondence between his brother Sir Henry Gordon and Thomas Wade. The papers concern the controversy attached to Gordon's visit, such as H.W. Gordon's claim that Wade and others had encouraged Li Hung-Chang to rebel against the government in Peking, which Wade denied.The collection concerns General Charles George Gordon (1833-1885) and his visit China in 1880, which was prompted by a telegram he received from...
Dates: 1880-1886 (Circa)
Conditions Governing Access: Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

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  • Subject: Diplomacy X