News was received by the local office of Thos, Cook & Son, Ltd. yesterday of the death of Sir Edmund Wyldbore-Smith, chairman of the company. As a mark of respect, the local office will be closed today. Sir Edmund, amongst other things, was also a Director of the Suez Canal Ca. and of the British and Chinese Corporation, Born in January 1877, he was the grandson of the late Sir John 1 Wyldbore-Smith and son of the late Rev. Francis Alfred Smith, Rector of Tarrant Rushton, Blandford, Dorset. He was educated at Haileybury. Joining the consular service, he was Vice-Consul at Tangier in 1900, acting Consul 1900-1905 inclusive and Charge d'Affaires during Sir Gerard Lowthers mission to Fez in 1905; and was then transferred to Canea, Crete, in 1907, being acting Consul-General there in 1907, 1908 and, 1909.
In 1910, he was seconded for service atthe Exhibitions Branch of the Board of Trade and in 1011 was Assistant Commissioner at the International Exhibition in Turin. The following year he was a British delegate to the Berlin Conference on International Exhibitions and in 1914 was British Commissioner of the Book Exhibition at Danzig.
War Service During the war he was director of the International Commission for the Purchase of Supplies for the Allies (1914 to 1919). During this time he was also busy in several other directions. In 1916, he was a member of the British delegation at the economic conference of the Allies in June at Paris and in August he accompanied Mr. Runciman to the Anglo-Italian Conference at Pallanza.
Granted the temporary rank of Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trade in 1917, he was British representative on the inter-allied commission to consider the reconstruction of Belgium after the Great War and was also one of the Board of Trade representatives on the—Anglo-Belgian "trade Committee in July, 1817. He resigned from the civil service in 1917.
Many Decorations Among his decorations and distinct tions were:—Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society; Grand Cross of the Order of St. Anna of Russia; Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy; Commander of Leopold of Belgium; Commander of the Legion of Honour; Commander Order of King George 1 of Greece; Commander of the Sacred Treasure, Japan; Grand Officer of St. Sava, Servia; Grand Officer of the Crown of Rumania; and the Royal Humane Society's medal for saving life from drowning.
In 1901, he married Miss Evadne Maude Kellett, daughter of the late John Talbot Kellett of Great Clonard, County Wexford. They have two daughters. At the time of his death he was a Director of the Suez Canal Ca,; Vice-President of the International Sleeping Car Ca; Chairman of Thos. Cook & Son, Ltd. Director of the Guardian Assurance Ca, Ltd; a director of the Pullman Car Ca; Deputy Chairman of the Metropolitai Railway Surplus Lands Ca, Ltd.; director of the British Shareholders Trust, British & Chinese Corporation and of other British and international companies; Vice-President of the Federation of British Industries; and Liveryman of the Goldsmiths' Company.
In memory of the late Sir Edmund, the local offices, of Messrs Thomas Cook and Son, Ltd., will be closed this afternoon,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.