MS 671 05

MS 671 05

The papers of Harold Anthony Caccia (Baron Caccia) (1905–1990)

Sub-sub-fonds

Harold Anthony Caccia was born on 21 December 1905 in Pachmarhi, India, the only child of Anthony Mario Felix Caccia and his wife, Fanny Theodora. Caccia went to Eton College and then to Trinity College, Oxford, where he gained a rugby blue and second-class honours in philosophy, politics and economics in 1927.

In 1928, he won a Laming travelling fellowship from Queen's College, Oxford.

Caccia entered the Foreign Office in 1929 as third secretary and in 1932 was appointed third secretary at Peking (Beijing).
The same year he married Anne Catherine (Nancy) Barstow and they would go on to have two daughters (Antonia and Clarissa) and one son (David).

He returned to London in 1935 as a second secretary and, from 1936, as assistant private secretary to Anthony Eden before transferring to Athens in 1939. Harold and Nancy Caccia were driven from Athens in 1941 and they returned to London.

In 1943, Caccia joined the staff of Harold Macmillan, Britain's representative at Allied headquarters in North Africa. Soon afterwards, he moved to Italy as vice-president of the Allied Control Commission and political adviser to General Harold Alexander. In 1944, he became the political adviser to the general officer commanding British land forces in Greece, and was in the embassy during the communist uprising in Athens in December 1944. In 1945, he became minister at the Athens embassy, before returning to the Foreign Office as chief clerk in 1949. In this post, he was instrumental in putting into effect the administrative reforms announced by Anthony Eden.

In 1950 Caccia went to Austria, where he served first as minister, then as British high commissioner, and finally as ambassador from 1951 to 1954.

Between 1956 and 1961, he served as British ambassador in Washington, becoming a respected and popular figure in the United States.

In 1962 Caccia became permanent under-secretary of state and in 1964 head of the diplomatic service until his retirement in 1965.

He was appointed CMG (1945), KCMG (1950), GCMG (1959) and GCVO (1961). In 1965, he became a life peer as Baron Caccia, taking the arms of his Florentine ancestors.

From 1965 to 1977, Caccia was provost of Eton. He also accepted many outside appointments in banking, finance, industry and insurance. He was director of the National Westminster Bank, chairman of the Orion Bank, a director of the Foreign and Colonial Investment and European trusts, director of the Prudential, Chair of Standard Telephones and Cables and of ITT (UK) Ltd. and a member of the advisory council of Foseco Minsep plc. He was also Chair of the Gabbitas Thring educational trust, a member of the advisory committee on public records and Chair of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

In 1969, he became first chancellor and then lord prior of the order of St John of Jerusalem. He was a regular attender at the House of Lords, where he sat on the cross benches, speaking mainly on foreign affairs. He was Chair of the Anglo-Austrian Society and became an honorary fellow of Trinity College, Oxford in 1963 and of Queen's College, Oxford in 1974.

1892-2005

46 boxes, 12 volumes and 8 oversized rolls/files

Harold Caccia’s papers reflect his entire professional and personal life.

While his childhood papers are limited, the collection does include school papers covering the whole of his education.
His Foreign Office career is extensively represented in the collection. However, it is not a complete record, with a gap in the years 1955-1956.

The personal papers and correspondence represent not only his outside interests and appointments, but also those of his wife Nancy, with a considerable proportion of the correspondence relating to her and other family members.

Finally, details and copies of official papers relating to his various honours are included as well as extensive genealogical papers, gathered by Caccia, and reflecting the Caccia, Birch and Lamb family history.

Caccia ordered most of his papers by subject and chronologically. This order has been maintained and his original filling structure is reflected in the cataloguing system.

The Papers of Provost Caccia, 1965 – 1977, created during his time at Eton College, are part of the College Archive collection Ref: COLL P 10

Additional files that reference Caccia and his time as Provost are also part of the College Archive and can be searched via the archive catalogue.

Correspondence between Harold Caccia and Anthony Eden are at the University of Birmingham: Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections: Avon Papers Ref: AP23/14

Official papers generated by Harold Caccia during his Foreign Office career are at the National Archives.