Sir James Hudson

Sir James Hudson GCB
Vanity Fair caricature of 1874
Born	1810 Bessingby, Yorkshire, England
Died	26 September 1885 (aged 76) Strasburg
Nationality	United Kingdom
Occupation	Diplomat
Known for	Ambassador to Turin

Sir James Hudson GCB (1810 – 20 September 1885) was a British diplomat. He is noted for his time as British ambassador to Turin between 1852 and 1863, as an italophile and strong supporter of Italian unification, and a collector of Italian art.

Hudson was born at Bessingby in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the eighth son of Harrington Hudson of Bessingby Hall, and his wife Lady Anne Townshend, daughter of George, 1st Marquess Townshend. He was educated at Rugby School (1823–1825) and at Westminster School (1825–1826). For three years during his youth he was sent to Italy, where he returned as part of European travel in the late 1820s.

Hudson first entered court as a page to George III. In 1830 he became clerk to the Lord Chamberlain and, between 1831 and 1837, usher to Queen Adelaide, consort of William IV. Between 1830 and 1837 he was secretary to Sir Herbert Taylor, the private secretary to William IV. At the accession of Victoria, he, with other officials from the court of William IV, left Windsor Castle.

Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston appointed Hudson as secretary to successive British Legations: Washington (1838), The Hague (1845), and to Rio de Janeiro, where, in 1850, he became Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. He was posted to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and in 1852, to Turin.