Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur KCMG CVO (16 December 1905 – 4 December 1973) was a British diplomat and colonial administrator.

Sir
Raynor Arthur
Sir Raynor Arthur welcomed Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret when she made a brief visit to Nassau in May 1958
Born
Oswald Raynor Arthur

16 December 1905
Poona, Maharashtra, India
Died4 December 1973
NationalityBritish
Alma materCorpus Christi College, Cambridge
OccupationColonial administrator

Early life and education edit

Arthur was born in Poona, the son of Sigismund Raynor Arthur (in the Indian Civil Service, grandson of Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet) and Constance Hobhouse (daughter of Sir Charles Parry Hobhouse, 3rd Baronet).

He was educated at Charterhouse School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.[1]

Career edit

Arthur joined the Nigerian Political Service in 1928 as an administrative officer.

He transferred to the British administration in Cyprus in 1937, becoming the island's Chief Commissioner in 1948.

He then moved on to the Americas and became Colonial Secretary of Bermuda 1951–54; Governor of the Falkland Islands 1954–57; and Governor of the Bahamas until 1960.[1]

Personal life edit

On 8 May 1935 he married his cousin Mary Elizabeth Spring Rice, the only daughter of Sir Cecil Spring Rice, with whom he had two children.

Honours and awards edit

Arthur was appointed CMG[2] and CVO[3] in 1953 and knighted KCMG in the New Year Honours of 1957.[4] He was made a knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1954.[5]

He was a justice of the peace in East Sussex in 1962.[1]

Government offices
Preceded by Governor of the Falkland Islands
1954–1957
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of the Bahamas
1957–1960
Succeeded by

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Obituary: Sir Raynor Arthur". The Times. No. 58956. 5 December 1973. p. 21.
  2. ^ "No. 39943". The London Gazette. 21 August 1953. p. 4533.
  3. ^ "No. 40043". The London Gazette. 15 December 1953. p. 6816.
  4. ^ "No. 40960". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1957. p. 4.
  5. ^ "No. 40215". The London Gazette. 25 June 1954. p. 3757.

Further reading edit