Baring , Evelyn , 1841-1917 , 1st Earl of Cromer , diplomatic administrator and writer

Baring , Evelyn , 1841-1917 , 1st Earl of Cromer , diplomatic administrator and writer

Evelyn Baring was born on 26 February 1841 at Cromer Hall, Norfolk He was educated at the Ordnance School, Carshalton; Woolwich, 1855-1858. In 1858 Baring entered the Royal Artillery, and was commissioned in 1870. He reached the rank of Major in 1876. Whilst in the Royal Artillery, Baring was stationed in the Ionian Islands, where he learnt Greek. Whilst there he took on secretarial duties before undertaking similar roles in Jamaica and India. In 1876 Baring was sent to Egypt where he became the Commissioner of Egyptian Public Debt between 1877-1879 and Controller-General in 1879. Baring was appointed a financial member of the Council of the Governor General of India in 1880. He returned to the imperial administration of Egypt in 1884, serving first as the Financial Assistant at the Conference in London on Egyptian Finance in 1884 and as Agent and Consul-General in Egypt between 1883-1907.

Baring was created Baron Cromer in 1892; Viscount Cromer in 1899 and Earl of Cromer in 1901. During his career in the army and the Civil Service, Baring was awarded the CIE, 1876; KCSI, 1883; CB 1885; KCB 1887; OM and GCMG 1888; and GCB 1895.

Baring wrote works on politics, the military and the classics. In 1910 he became chair of the Classical Association. He died in London on 21 January 1912.