Edward Twining

The Right Honourable The Lord Twining GCMG MBE KStJ
Governor of Tanganyika
In office 1949–1958
Monarch	[George VI]] Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir William Battershill
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Turnbull
Governor of North Borneo
In office 1946–1949
Monarch	George VI
Preceded by	Robert Smith
Succeeded by	Sir Ralph Hone
Personal details
Born	Edward Francis Twining 29 June 1899 Westminster, England
Died	21 July 1967 (aged 68) Westminster, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Diplomat, colonial governor

Edward Francis Twining, Baron Twining GCMG MBE KStJ (29 June 1899 – 21 June 1967), known as Sir Edward Twining from 1949 to 1958, was a British diplomat, formerly Governor of North Borneo^[1] and Governor of Tanganyika. He was a member of the Twining tea family. In 1960 he published a book titled A History of the Crown Jewels of Europe; at over 700 pages it is probably the most extensive book on the subject.

Early and personal life

Twining was born in 1899 in Westminster to William Henry Greaves Twining and his wife, Agatha Georgina, fourth daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Bourne. His brother Stephan Twining became the managing director of the tea merchants, Twinings. He attended Lancing before training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

He married Helen Mary, daughter of Arthur Edmund Du Buisson, in 1928 and they had two sons.

Military and diplomatic service

Sir Edward Twining returning the skull of Chief Mkwawa

He served in Dublin with the Worcestershire Regiment between 1919 and 1922, inadvertently capturing Éamon de Valera in 1921. He was appointed MBE^[2] for his services in Ireland. He then entered the colonial administrative service following two tours of Uganda with the 4th King's African Rifles, returning there in 1929 as an assistant district commissioner. He moved to Mauritius as director of labour in 1939, before becoming administrator in St Lucia in 1943; he was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the same year.^[3]

Twining served as Governor of North Borneo from November 1946. In 1949 he was promoted to KCMG^[4] and became Governor of Tanganyika, serving there until 1958. He was promoted to GCMG in 1953^[5] and following his retirement, he became a life peer as Baron Twining, of Tanganyika and of Godalming in the County of Surrey, on 22 August 1958.^[6]

He was appointed a Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John in 1950.^[7] He also served as Honorary Colonel to 6th Battalion King's African Rifles from 1955 to 1958.^[8]

Publications

• A History of the Crown Jewels of Europe. London: B. T. Batsford, 1960.
• European Regalia. London: B. T. Batsford, 1967.

References

1. http://www.rulers.org/malstat.html
2. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 32782. pp. 7–8. 1 January 1923. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36033. p. 2421. 2 June 1943. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
4. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38493. p. 4. 1 January 1949. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39732. p. 5. 1 January 1953. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
6. The London Gazette: no. 41479. p. 5211. 22 August 1958. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
7. The London Gazette: no. 38952. pp. 3258–3259. 23 June 1950. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
8. "Twining, Baron". Who Was Who. A & C Black; Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2010.

• Fletcher-Cooke, John; Pratt, Cranford (January 2008). "Twining, Edward Francis, Baron Twining (1899–1967)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36598. Retrieved 12 December 2010. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Mr Francis Twining