James Beethom Whitehead

Sir James Beethom Whitehead (31 July 1858 – 19 September 1928) was a British diplomat, who was British Minister to Serbia 1906–1910. Early life Whitehead was the second son of the engineer Robert Whitehead (1823–1905) by his wife Frances Maria Johnson (1821–1883). His elder sister, Alice, married Georg Anton, Count of Hoyos, and was the mother of Countess Marguerite (wife of Herbert von Bismarck, eldest son of Otto von Bismarck) and Alexander, Count of Hoyos. His elder brother, John Whitehead, was the father of Agathe Whitehead (wife of Captain Georg von Trapp and mother of seven children who were the inspiration behind the movie The Sound of Music), and his younger brother, Robert Boville Whitehead also married and had issue. He was educated in Austria and at St John's College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. degree in 1881 and an M.A. degree in 1887. Career He entered the diplomatic service in 1881, was appointed Third Secretary in November 1883, and promoted to Second Secretary on 1 January 1887. On 1 October 1898, he was appointed Secretary of Legation at Tokyo, in October 1901 he transferred as First Secretary of Legation at Brussels, and in August 1902 he was appointed Secretary at the embassy in Constantinople. In December 1903, he transferred as First Secretary to the embassy in Berlin, and on 1 April 1904 he was promoted to Counselor.