Patrick Scrivener


Sir Patrick Stratford Scrivener was a British diplomat who served as British Minister and Ambassador to Switzerland from 1950 to 1953.

Early life and education

Scrivener was born on 22 August 1897, the son of H. S. Scrivener. He was educated at Winchester College and Royal Naval College, Osborne.

Career

After serving during World War I with the Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars, having received his commission in 1915, Scrivener entered the Diplomatic Service in 1920, and was sent to Warsaw as third secretary. In 1923, he was promoted to second secretary and went to Cairo and then to Budapest. After working in the Foreign Office, he was promoted to first secretary, and served at Addis Ababa in 1933; Ankara in 1936; Rome from 1939 to 1940; and Lisbon from 1940 to 1941. During the War, he worked in the Foreign Office, first as acting counsellor and then as counsellor. In 1947, he was appointed minister in Syria. He then served as deputy special commissioner in South-East Asia from 1947 to 1948 and deputy commissioner-general for Foreign Affairs in South-East Asia from 1948 to 1949.
In 1950, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Switzerland and upgraded to the new post of ambassador to Switzerland in 1953. He retired in 1954.

Personal life and death

Scrivener married Margaret née Dorling in 1918 and they had a son.
Scrivener died on 20 January 1966.

Honours

Scrivener was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1937 Coronation Honours, and promoted to Knight Commander in the 1952 New Year Honours.