Orders, Decorations and Medals

The G.C.M.G., C.B., C.B.E. group of nine awarded to The Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Oswald Lindley, Diplomatic Service

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, G.C.M.G., Knight Grand Cross set of isignia, collar chain, silver-gilt and enamel, in Garrard, London case of issue; together with sash badge, silver-gilt and enamel; breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, with full sash ribbon, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1912, with neck ribbon, in Garrard, London case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in Garrard, London case of issue; British War and Victory Medals (The Hon. F. O. Lindley, B.R.C. & St. J.J.); Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, the medals mounted court style as worn; together with a mounted set of nine miniature dress medals, good very fine and better (20) £3000-3500

Francis Oswald Lindley was born on 12 June 1872, the 4th son of Lord Lindley. Educated at Winchester and Magdalen College, Oxford he entered the Diplomatic Service, being employed as an Attaché in 1896 and Clerk in the Foreign Office in 1897. In 1899 he was appointed Acting Third Secretary firstly in Vienna and then in Tehran during 1900-01. As a Second Secretary he served under the Egyptian Government, 1902-04, the H.M. Agency in Cairo, 1904-06 and at Tokyo, 1906-08. After a period at the Foreign Office, he was appointed First Secretary in Sofia, 1909-11 and Christiania in 1912. During the war he was the Counsellor of Embassy at Petrograd, November 1915 and H.M. Commissioner in Russia, June 1918. Postwar he was successively H.M. Consul-General in Russia, 1919 and High Commissioner at Vienna, 1919-20. After further service in Austria, Greece and Norway, he was appointed Ambassador to Portugal, 1929-31 and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, 1931-34. He retired from the Diplomatic Service in 1934. Lindley was awarded the C.B.E. in 1917, the C.B. in 1919, the K.C.M.G. in 1926 and G.C.M.G. in 1931. He was appointed a P.C. in 1929, a J.P. in 1934 and was the Official Verderer to the New Forest from 1943. He died on 17 August 1950.