William Gore Ouseley

Infobox Person
name = Sir William Gore Ouseley


image_size =
caption = Self portrait
birth_date = 26 July 1797
birth_place =
death_date = 6 March 1866
death_place =
education =
occupation = Diplomat, author & artist
spouse =
parents = Sir William Ouseley and Julia "née" Irving [http://www.iranica.com/articles/ot_grp5/ot_ouseley_william_20050106.html William Ouseley in Iranica.com] accessed 15 September 2007]
children = A daughter and a son who died young

Sir William Gore Ouseley (26 July 1797 - 6 March 1866) was a British diplomat who served in various roles in Washington, D.C., Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. His main achievement were negotiations concerning ownership of Britain's interests in what is now Honduras and Nicaragua.

Career

Ouseley was born in London to the orientalist Sir William Ouseley and his wife Julia. He was attaché in Washington D.C. from 1825 to 1832, when he had his first book published. [http://www.historicalautographs.co.uk/catalogue.asp?content=North%20America Historical Autographs] accessed 17 September 2007] Whilst he was in America he married Maria Van Ness in 1827. Maria was the 20-year-old daughter of the Governor of Vermont, Cornelius P. Van Ness. [ [http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/oo/ouseley1.htm Ouseley family tree] accessed September 2007] The country of Argentina was effectively created in 1826, and he was amongst a group of Britons who assisted the new country gaining an advantage for Britain, negotiating contracts for expertise such as railways. [The Forgotten Colony, by Andrew Graham Yooll, published by Hutchison, 1981]

Ouseley later served in Rio de Janeiro in 1832 as a consul where he rose to the rank of minister. Not soon after that he was posted to Buenos Aires where he remained until 1850. His book concerning the slave trade which he published in 1850 is still (2007) in print.

Ouseley was very well connected, having a Governor as a father-in-law, a sister-in-law who was also a judge in New York and another sister who had received a marriage proposal from U.S. President James Buchanan.Private and confidential: Letter from British Ministers in Washington to the Foreign Secretaies in London 1844-67 by James J. Barnes, Patience P. Barnes, Published 1993 Susquehanna University Press ] He had but one blot on his record, having been recalled from Rio de Janeiro, although his superior was generous enough to admit that the argument that caused the recall was in hindsight found to be in Ouseley's favour. In the UK, both his father and his uncle, Sir Gore Ouseley, were well-connected diplomats and gentleman scholars.

pecial mission

In October 1858 he was sent on a special mission to San José in Costa Rica as a Special Envoy on the British warship "Valorous". His mission was to resolve Britain's interests in Central America, particularly the Bay Islands off Honduras, the Mosquito Coast and Greytown (both now in Nicaragua). In 1859, he negotiated a treaty concerning the British interests with Nicaragua and with Costa Rica which involved the President of Nicaragua personally. In early November, Ouseley required a change for his health and he announced his return to Britain before the treaty was signed. ["The New York , 2 November 1859] Within two weeks he had to return as his only son, William Charles Ouseley, had died at the age of 27 due to an opium overdose."The New York Times", 15 November 1859]

He died 6 March 1866, and his wife died in 1881.

Art and literature

Ouseley's paintings are still a marketable commodity in 2007. [ [http://it.easyart.com/stampe-su-tela/William-Gore-Ouseley/William-Gore-Ouseley-Botafogo-Bay--Suburbs-Of-Rio-De-Janeiro--1852--211084.html William Gore Ouseley painting] Accessed September 2007]

Ouseley was also an early commentator on the legends which grew up around the historical figure Dick Whittington. Although the influence of an Italian source [The "Novella della Gatte", printed in Arlotto's "Facetiae" of 1483] was already recognized, Ouseley, on the basis of his travels, was able to trace the story back still further, to a Persian manuscript which he related thus: [http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/popular-music-olden-times-2/popular-music-of-olden-times2%20-%200516.htm traditionalmusic.co.uk] ]

Major works

* "Remarks on the statistics and political institutions of the United States‚ with some observations on the ecclesiastical system of America‚ her sources of revenue", 1832
* "Notes on the Slave Trade‚ with Remarks on the Measures Adopted for its Suppression", 1850
* "A description of views in South America‚ from original drawings made in Brazil‚ the River Plate‚ the Parana", 1852
* "Views in South America, from original drawings made in Brazil, the River Plate, the Paraná, etc". (London: Thomas McLean, 1852). Geyer Collection, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

References