{{Short description|British colonial administrator and diplomat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Sir Gordon Wesley Jewkes''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCMG}} (born 18 November 1931) is a British retired colonial administrator and diplomat. Jewkes joined the Inland Revenue at the age of 16 and went on to carry out his National Service as an officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He served in various Whitehall departments but is most associated with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Jewkes served as the finance officer for the Diplomatic Service and Deputy High Commissioner in Trinidad and Tobago before becoming a consul and then consul-general in the United States. He was Governor of the Falkland Islands and High Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory from 1985 to 1988. In retirement he has served as director of two private firms and on the council of the University of Buckingham.

== Early life and military service == Jewkes was born in County Durham in November 1931.<ref name=companies>{{cite web |title=Gordon Wesley JEWKES personal appointments - Find and update company information |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/aYbePY8DaBBWxxbbjbKfXeWowcA/appointments |website=Companies House |access-date=2 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=buck>{{cite web |title=Honorary Graduates 2007 |url=https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/graduation/honorary-graduates/2007/ |website=University of Buckingham |access-date=2 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref> After an education received in England and Scotland he joined, at the age of 16, the Inland Revenue. He spent the next 20 years in various Whitehall government departments, apart from two years of National Service spent with the British Army.<ref name=buck/> He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on 20 January 1951.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=39160 |date=27 February 1951 |page=1096 |supp=y }}</ref> He was granted the acting rank of lieutenant on 31 July 1952.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=39618|date=5 August 1952|page=4239|supp=y }}</ref> Whilst in the Army Reserve he received promotion to the rank of lieutenant on 18 November 1954 and to captain on 18 November 1958.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40329|date=16 November 1954|page=6557|supp=y }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41613|date=20 January 1959|page=546|supp=y }}</ref>

==Diplomatic service == With the Foreign and Commonwealth Office he served as the finance officer for the Diplomatic Service and Deputy High Commissioner in Trinidad and Tobago.<ref name=buck/> He was appointed consul to the United States, based at Chicago, on 10 December 1969.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=45038|date=10 February 1970|page=1667}}</ref> On 14 June 1979 Jewkes was appointed Consul-General to the United States at Cleveland.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47968|date=2 October 1979|page=12354}}</ref> He was appointed a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1980 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=48041|date=28 December 1979|page=2|supp=y}}</ref>

Jewkes served as Governor of the Falkland Islands and High Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory from 1985 to 1988.<ref name=buck/> Jewkes succeeded Sir Rex Hunt, who had been governor during the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. Jewkes' appointment came after the fall of the National Reorganization Process junta and at a time when there were hopes for improved relations with the new Argentine government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gordon Jewkes appointed new Falklands governor · LBC/IRN |url=https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/lbc/search/index.php/segment/0014100104004 |website=learningonscreen.ac.uk |access-date=2 May 2026}}</ref> Jewkes' last diplomatic posting was as Consul-General in New York and as Director-General of Trade and Investment USA.<ref name=buck/> He was rewarded for service in this role by appointment as knight commander in the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1990 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52173|date=15 June 1990|page=3}}</ref>

== Retirement from public service== Jewkes was a director of Segro (a development company originally known the Slough Estates Group) from before 1992 to 14 May 2002. He was a director of Hogg Group and insurance and travel management company, now forming part of Aon, from 1 January 1992 to 31 August 1994.<ref name=companies/> Jewkes served on the council of the University of Buckingham from 1996 to 2001 and was a member of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.<ref name=buck/>

== References == <references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jewkes, Gordon}} Category:1931 births Category:Living people Category:Governors of the Falkland Islands Category:Commissioners of the British Antarctic Territory Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:20th-century British diplomats