The Right Hon. Sir Hugh Guion Macdonald, GCMG

Biographical Summary

"VIII. The Right Hon. Sir Hugh Guion Macdonald, G.C.M.G. Sir Hugh, who was born in 1832, was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and joined the Army as Second Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade, 22nd December, 1848. In 1853 he retired from ill-health, entered the Diplomatic Service, and was an Attache at Washington and Constantinople. In 1865 he was appointed to Rio Janeiro as Second Secretary. He did not, however, proceed thither, but took up a similar position at Copenhagen in the following year. He served successively at Buenos Ayres, Madrid, and Berlin, where, on many occasions, he acted as Charge d' Affaires. He was transferred to Rome in 1878, and was promoted to be Charge d' Aflaires at Munich in 1882. In 1885 he went as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoteniary to Brazil. In 1888 he proceeded in a similar rank to the Court of Denmark. In 1892 he was made K.C.M.G., and in the following year he was transferred to Lisbon. In 1899 he was made a G.C.M.G. He retired on a pension in 1902, when he was sworn of the Privy Council.

Sir Hugh married, in July, 1870, Anne, daughter of Edward Lamb of Wallington Lodge, Surrey. He died in London, January 25th, 1904."

SOURCE: The clan Donald; by the Rev. A. Macdonald, minister of Killearnan, and the Rev. A. Macdonald, minister of Kiltarlity; Vol. III; 1896; page 355