# Clinton Pelham

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{{Short description|British diplomat (1898–1984)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sir Clinton Pelham

| office2      = [British Ambassador to Czechoslovakia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Czechoslovakia)
| term_start2  = 1955
| term_end2    = 1957
| successor2   = [Sir Paul Grey](/source/Paul_Grey_(diplomat))
| predecessor2 = [Sir Derwent Kermode](/source/Derwent_Kermode)

| office3      = [British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Saudi_Arabia)
| predecessor3 = Alan Trott
| successor3   =  [Sir Harold Beeley](/source/Harold_Beeley)
| term_start3  = 1951
| term_end3    = 1955

| birth_date       = 20 May 1898
| death_date       = 17 June 1984 (aged 86)
| children         = 2
| occupation       = Diplomat
| honorific_suffix = [KBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) [CMG](/source/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George) [FRGS](/source/Royal_Geographical_Society)
}}

'''Sir George Clinton Pelham''' (20 May 1898 – 17 June 1984) was a British diplomat who served as [ambassador to Saudi Arabia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Saudi_Arabia) from 1951 to 1955 and [ambassador to Czechoslovakia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Czechoslovakia) from 1955 to 1957.

== Early life and education ==

Pelham was born on 20 May 1898, the son of George Pelham. He was educated privately.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=20 June 1984 |title=Sir Clinton Pelham |work=[The Times](/source/The_Times) |pages=12}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/whowaswho19811990008unse |title=Who was who 1981-1990 : a companion to Who's who |date=1991 |publisher=London : A. & C. Black |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7136-3336-8 |pages=588}}</ref>

== Career ==

After serving during World War I from 1915 to 1918, Pelham joined the Foreign Office in 1920<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=32344 |date=3 June 1921 |page=4448 }}</ref> after working briefly at the Customs and Excise Department.<ref>{{Edinburgh Gazette |issue=13560 |date=6 February 1920 |page=350 }}</ref> In 1923, he transferred to the Far Eastern Consular Service as a student interpreter,<ref>{{Edinburgh Gazette |issue=14222 |date=13 April 1926 |page=427 }}</ref> and in the following year was appointed vice-consul in China.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33272 |date=6 May 1927 |page=2953 }}</ref> In 1934, he served as commercial secretary at Peking.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34019 |date=30 January 1934 |page=675 }}</ref> 

In 1943, Pelham was appointed acting consul-general in [Madagascar](/source/Madagascar). He then served at [Baghdad](/source/Baghdad) as first secretary (commercial) in 1945,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37309 |date=16 October 1945 |page=5071 }}</ref> promoted to counsellor (commercial) the following year, and counsellor (commercial) at [Madrid](/source/Madrid) from 1948 to 1951.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Colin Mackie |url=http://archive.org/details/directorybritishdiplomats-mackie-pt1 |title=A Directory of British Diplomats [2013] |date=2013 |pages=390}}</ref>

Pelham then served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1951 to 1955,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=39513 |date=11 April 1952 |page=2013 }}</ref> and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1955 to 1957.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40557 |date=9 August 1955 |page=4559 }}</ref>

In retirement Pelham became a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society ([FRGS](/source/Royal_Geographical_Society)), and was a county councillor for [West Sussex](/source/West_Sussex) from 1963 to 1970.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Personal life and death ==

Pelham married Jeanie Adelina Morton in 1930 and they had two daughters.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Pelham died on 17 June 1984, aged 86.<ref name=":0" />

== Honours ==

Pelham was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George ([CMG](/source/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George)) in the [1949 New Year Honours](/source/1949_New_Year_Honours).<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=38493 |date=1 January 1949 |page=5 |supp=y }}</ref> He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire ([KBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)) in the [1957 New Year Honours](/source/1957_New_Year_Honours).<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40960 |date=1 January 1957 |page=22 |supp=y }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [Czech Republic–United Kingdom relations](/source/Czech_Republic%E2%80%93United_Kingdom_relations)
* [Saudi Arabia–United Kingdom relations](/source/Saudi_Arabia%E2%80%93United_Kingdom_relations)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{NPG name|78555|Sir (George) Clinton Pelham}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef |before=Alan Trott}}
{{s-ttl |title =[British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Saudi_Arabia) |years=1951–1955}}
{{s-aft |after =[Sir Harold Beeley](/source/Harold_Beeley)}}

{{s-bef |before=[Sir Derwent Kermode](/source/Derwent_Kermode)}}
{{s-ttl |title =[British Ambassador to Czechoslovakia](/source/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_Czechoslovakia)|years=1955–1957}}
{{s-aft |after =[Sir Paul Grey](/source/Paul_Grey_(diplomat))}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pelham, George Clinton}}

Category:1898 births
Category:1984 deaths
Category:20th-century British diplomats
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Czechoslovakia

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clinton Pelham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Pelham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Pelham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.