James Harford

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Sir James Dundas Harford KBE CMG (1899-01-07 – 1993-11-26) was a British diplomat who served as Governor of Saint Helena from 1954 to 1958.

A direct descendant of John Scandrett Harford of Blaise Castle, he was educated at Repton School and Balliol College, Oxford. Between school and university he enlisted as a Second Lieutenant in 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment and saw action in France between 1917 and 1918. After a period as a schoolmaster at Eton College from 1922 to 1926, Harford joined the Colonial Administration Service and was posted to Nigeria (1926–1934).

He was subsequently appointed:

• Administrator of Antigua and Federal Secretary of the Leeward Islands (1936–1940);
• Administrator of Saint Kitts and Nevis (1940–1946);
• Acting Governor of the Leeward Islands (various periods between 1937 and 1946);
• Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (1943);
• To serve in the Colonial Office (1946–1947);
• Colonial Secretary of Mauritius (1948–1953);
• Acting Governor of Mauritius (1948 and 1950);
• Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Saint Helena (1954–1958);
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1956).

Harford Middle School in Saint Helena is named in his honour.

He was married twice:

1. (1932-03-14) to Countess Thelma Alberta Louisa Evelyne Metaxà (died 1934-10-22), sister of 9th Count Metaxà, and only daughter of Count Andrea Francis Albert Cochrane Metaxà RNR; 1 son.
2. (1937-02-20) to Lilias Madeleine, eldest daughter of Major Archibald Campbell AEC; 2 daughters.

[edit] References

• (1938) “Metaxà”, Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage: Privy Council and Order of Precedence, 96th (Coronation honours) Edition, London: Shaw Publishing in conjunction with Burke's Peerage, pp. 2689–2690.

• (1965) “Harford of Horton”, Peter Townend (Ed.): Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 18th Edition, London: Burke's Peerage, Vol. I, pp. 367–370.

• (1972) “Campbell, formerly of Auchendarroch and Inverawe”, Peter Townend (Ed.): Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 18th Edition, London: Burke's Peerage, Vol. III, pp. 140–141.

• (1993) John Jones and Catherine Willbery (Edd.): The Balliol College Register (1940–1990), 6th Edition, printed for private circulation.

[edit] External links

• Harford Middle School

Political offices
Preceded by Sir George Joy	Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Saint Helena 1954–1958	Succeeded by Sir Robert Alford