Talk:Sir Brooke Boothby, 10th Baronet

Boothby did not go to Chile as envoy
Who Was Who says that Sir Brooke Boothby was "HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary for Chile from 1907", which seems to imply that he remained there until his death in 1913. And the London Gazette, 10 May 1907 records his appointment, dated 15 April 1907. But Who Was Who also says that Henry Bax-Ironside was "Minister Plenipotentiary to Chile, 1907–09" (London Gazette, 1 November 1907) and that Henry Lowther was "British Minister for Chile, 1909–13" (London Gazette, 19 February 1909). (Neither Bax-Ironside nor Lowther was "Sir Henry" when appointed to Chile, though both were knighted later.) All three were officially appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chile; two peope could not hold such an appointment simultaneously.

Colin Mackie, a Scottish historian, has a list of British Ambassadors and High Commissioners: 1880-2010, culled from the annual Foreign Office Lists. For Chile, his list has a footnote "Contrary to references in several sources, including his entry in 'Who's Who', Boothby was not Minister from 1907-1913. He was appointed in April 1907 but did not proceed to Chile to take up post." This is corroborated by Boothby's obituary in The Times, which said "in 1907 he was appointed Minister to Chile, but did not proceed there owing to the state of his health" (Obituary - Sir Brooke Boothby, The Times, London, 23 January 1913, p.9).

It is clear that Boothby's entry in Who Was Who is misleading, so that the numerous web pages relying on that entry to describe Boothby as "minister to Chile" are mistaken.

stanning 20:11, 15 April 2012 (UTC)