b. 1790
d. 1870
Addington was born in 1790 and educated at Winchester College. After joining the Foreign
Office in 1807, he rose to the position of minister-plenipotentiary in the negotiations
with the United States concerning the Oregon boundary during the mid 1820s. Recalled
by Lord Palmerston in 1833 for his opinions and actions as minister to Spain, he was
appointed by Lord Aberdeen as under-secretary of the Foreign Office where he served
until 1854. With descriptions from colleagues and biographers that range from stupid
to obstinate, it is perhaps not surprising that he acquired the nickname, “Pumpy”,
in the Foreign Office.