Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron St Helens
Encyclopedia
Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens PC (Derby
1 March 1753 – London
19 February 1839) was a British diplomat and a friend of explorer George Vancouver
, who named Mount St. Helens
in what is now Washington after him.
He was Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia from 1783 to 1788, appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland
and a member of the Privy Council
(Great Britain
& Ireland
) in 1787, serving in the former position until 1789. He was Minister plenipotentiary to Spain
from 1790 to 1794.
in Derbyshire
, who married Mary, eldest daughter of Littleton Poyntz Meynell of Bradley
, near Ashbourne
. His father, who was Member for the Borough of Derby and a Commissioner of the Board of Trade, committed suicide on 2 January 1772 through pecuniary trouble. He was numbered among the friends of Dr. Johnson, who bore witness to his felicity of manner
and his general popularity, but depreciated the extent of his learning. Of his mother the same authority is reported to have said that she had the best understanding he ever met with in any human being.' Alleyne, who inherited his baptismal name from his maternal grandmother, Judith, daughter of Thomas Alleyne of Barbados, was born in 1753. FitzHerbert was educated at Derby School
(1763–1766), Eton College
(1766–70) and St John's College, Cambridge
(1770–1774). His elder brother, also William
inherited the family seat and became a baronet.
wrote to Mason that the little Fitzherbert is come as pensioner to St. John's, and seems to have all his wits about him.
Gray, attended by several of his friends, paid a visit to the young undergraduate in his college rooms, and as the poet rarely went outside his own college, his presence attracted great attention, and the details of the interview were afterwards communicated to Samuel Rogers
, and printed by Mitford. Fitzherbert took his degree of B. A. in 1774, being second of the senior optimes in the mathematical tripos, and was also the senior chancellor's medallist. Soon afterwards he went on a tour through France
and Italy
.
, and this necessitated his taking the degree of M.A. in that year by proxy. He remained at Brussels until August 1782, when he was despatched to Paris
by Lord Shelburne as plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace with the crowns of France and Spain
, and with the States General of the United Provinces ; and on 20 January 1783 the preliminaries of peace
with the first two powers were duly signed. The peace with the American colonies, which was agreed to at about the same date, was not brought to a conclusion under Fitzherbert's charge, but he claimed to have taken a leading share in the previous negotiations which rendered it possible. This successful diplomacy led to his promotion in the summer of 1783 to the post of envoy extraordinary to the Empress Catherine of Russia, and he accompanied her in her tour round the Crimea
in 1787.
newly appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland, as his chief secretary, and he was in consequence sworn a member of the privy council on the 30 November.
His health was bad, and the first Lord Minto
wrote to his wife (9 December 1787) that FitzHerbert was going to Ireland with the greatest danger to his life, his health being very bad in itself, and such as the business and vexation he is going to must
make much worse.
In spite of these gloomy prognostications he continued to hold the post until March 1789, when he resigned the secretaryship, and was sent to the Hague
as envoy extraordinary, with the pay of ambassador in ordinary, in all about £4,000 a year. In 1788, he stood as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Carysfort
and served in the Irish House of Commons
until 1790. At this time his reputation had reached its highest point, and Fox
described him as a man of parts and of infinite zeal and industry. However as years went on his powers of application for the minor duties of his offices seem to have flagged. One hostile critic complained in 1793 that his letters were left unanswered by Fitzherbert, and in the following year he was described by the first Lord Malmesbury as very friendly, but insouciant as to business and not attentive enough for his post. In more important matters he acted with promptness and energy.
Spain respecting the right of British subjects to trade at Nootka Sound
and to carry on the southern whale fishery, he was despatched to
Madrid
(May 1791) as ambassador extraordinary, and under his care all disputes were settled in the succeeding October, for which services he was raised to the Irish peerage with the title of Baron St. Helens.
In the following year, Commander George Vancouver
and the officers of HMS Discovery
made the Europeans' first recorded sighting of Mount St. Helens on 19 May 1792, while surveying the northern Pacific Ocean
coast. Vancouver named the mountain after the newly created Baron on 20 October 1792,
as it came into view when the Discovery passed into the mouth of the Columbia River.
A treaty of alliance between Great Britain and Spain was concluded by him in 1793, but as the climate of that country did not agree with
his health he returned home early in 1794. Very shortly after his landing in England, St. Helens was appointed to the ambassadorship at the Hague (25 March 1794), where he remained until the French conquered the country, when the danger of his situation caused much anxiety to his friends.
A year or two later a great misfortune happened to him. On 16 July 1797 his house, containing everything he possessed, was burnt
to the ground, and he himself narrowly escaped a premature death. He has lost,' wrote Lord Minto, every scrap of paper he
ever had. Conceive how inconsolable that loss must be to one who has lived his life. All his books, many fine pictures, prints and drawings in great abundance, are all gone.
on his accession to the throne, and to arrange a treaty between England and Russia. The terms of the agreement were
quickly settled, and on its completion he was
promoted to the peerage of the United Kingdom. In the next September he attended the coronation of Alexander in Moscow, and arranged a convention with the Danish plenipotentiary, which was followed in March
1802 by a similar settlement with Sweden
.
, an old family property, in 1806, he lent it for life to a cousin, the novelist Frances Jacson
and her sister. His consummate prudence and his quiet, polished manners are the theme of Nathaniel Wraxall's praise. Rogers and Jeremy Bentham
were included in the list of his friends.
To Rogers he presented in his last illness Pope's own copy of Garth's Dispensary, with Pope's manuscript annotations. Bentham had been presented to St. Helens by his elder brother, sometime member for Derbyshire
, and many letters to and from him on subjects of political interest are in Bentham's works. Two letters from him to Croker on Wraxall's anecdotes are in the Croker Papers (ii. 294-7), and a letter to him from the first Lord Malmesbury is printed in the latter's diaries. St. Helens died in Grafton Street, London, on 19 February 1839, and was buried in the Harrow Road cemetery on 26 February. As he was never married, the title became extinct, and his property passed to his nephew, Sir Henry Fitzherbert. From 1805 to 1837 he had been a trustee of the British Museum
, and at the time of his death he was the senior member of the privy council
.
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
1 March 1753 – London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
19 February 1839) was a British diplomat and a friend of explorer George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
, who named Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
in what is now Washington after him.
He was Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia from 1783 to 1788, appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland
Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...
and a member of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
(Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
& Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) in 1787, serving in the former position until 1789. He was Minister plenipotentiary to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
from 1790 to 1794.
Life
Alleyne was fifth and youngest son of William FitzHerbert of TissingtonTissington
Tissington is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is part of the estate of Tissington Hall, owned by the FitzHerbert family since 1465. It is regarded as one of the most picturesque English villages and is a popular tourist attraction, particularly during its well dressing week. It also gives its...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, who married Mary, eldest daughter of Littleton Poyntz Meynell of Bradley
Bradley, Derbyshire
Bradley is a parish in Derbyshire just to the east of Ashbourne. Other neighbouring parishes include Hulland and Yeldersley.The parish church of All Saints is 14th century, with an aisleless nave and chancel, but no tower. There was an 18th century wooden bell-turret, but this has been removed...
, near Ashbourne
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
. His father, who was Member for the Borough of Derby and a Commissioner of the Board of Trade, committed suicide on 2 January 1772 through pecuniary trouble. He was numbered among the friends of Dr. Johnson, who bore witness to his felicity of manner
and his general popularity, but depreciated the extent of his learning. Of his mother the same authority is reported to have said that she had the best understanding he ever met with in any human being.' Alleyne, who inherited his baptismal name from his maternal grandmother, Judith, daughter of Thomas Alleyne of Barbados, was born in 1753. FitzHerbert was educated at Derby School
Derby School
Derby School was a school in Derby in the English Midlands from 1160 to 1989. It had an almost continuous history of education of over eight centuries. For most of that time it was a grammar school for boys. The school became co-educational and comprehensive in 1974 and was closed in 1989...
(1763–1766), Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
(1766–70) and St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
(1770–1774). His elder brother, also William
Sir William Fitzherbert, 1st Baronet
Sir William FitzHerbert, 1st Baronet was the first baronet Fitzherbert of Tissington. He was a lawyer and recorder for Derby. He was an usher to George III. He owned a number of plantations for sugar and coffee in Jamaica and Barbados.-Biography:...
inherited the family seat and became a baronet.
Cambridge
In July 1770 he matriculated as pensioner at St. John's College, Cambridge, his private tutor being the Rev. William Arnald, and in the following October Thomas GrayThomas Gray
Thomas Gray was a poet, letter-writer, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University.-Early life and education:...
wrote to Mason that the little Fitzherbert is come as pensioner to St. John's, and seems to have all his wits about him.
Gray, attended by several of his friends, paid a visit to the young undergraduate in his college rooms, and as the poet rarely went outside his own college, his presence attracted great attention, and the details of the interview were afterwards communicated to Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers was an English poet, during his lifetime one of the most celebrated, although his fame has long since been eclipsed by his Romantic colleagues and friends Wordsworth, Coleridge and Byron...
, and printed by Mitford. Fitzherbert took his degree of B. A. in 1774, being second of the senior optimes in the mathematical tripos, and was also the senior chancellor's medallist. Soon afterwards he went on a tour through France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Diplomat
In February 1777 he began a long course of foreign life with the appointment of minister at BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and this necessitated his taking the degree of M.A. in that year by proxy. He remained at Brussels until August 1782, when he was despatched to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Lord Shelburne as plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace with the crowns of France and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and with the States General of the United Provinces ; and on 20 January 1783 the preliminaries of peace
Peace of Paris (1783)
The Peace of Paris was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War. On 3 September 1783, representatives of King George III of Great Britain signed a treaty in Paris with representatives of the United States of America—commonly known as the Treaty of Paris —and two treaties at...
with the first two powers were duly signed. The peace with the American colonies, which was agreed to at about the same date, was not brought to a conclusion under Fitzherbert's charge, but he claimed to have taken a leading share in the previous negotiations which rendered it possible. This successful diplomacy led to his promotion in the summer of 1783 to the post of envoy extraordinary to the Empress Catherine of Russia, and he accompanied her in her tour round the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
in 1787.
Ireland
At the close of 1787 he returned to England to accompany the Marquis of Buckingham, thenewly appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland, as his chief secretary, and he was in consequence sworn a member of the privy council on the 30 November.
His health was bad, and the first Lord Minto
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto PC , known as Sir Gilbert Elliott between 1777 and 1797 and as The Lord Minto between 1797 and 1813, was a Scottish politician diplomat....
wrote to his wife (9 December 1787) that FitzHerbert was going to Ireland with the greatest danger to his life, his health being very bad in itself, and such as the business and vexation he is going to must
make much worse.
In spite of these gloomy prognostications he continued to hold the post until March 1789, when he resigned the secretaryship, and was sent to the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
as envoy extraordinary, with the pay of ambassador in ordinary, in all about £4,000 a year. In 1788, he stood as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Carysfort
Carysfort (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Carysfort was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1800.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Carysfort was represented with two members.-1689–1801:...
and served in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
until 1790. At this time his reputation had reached its highest point, and Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
described him as a man of parts and of infinite zeal and industry. However as years went on his powers of application for the minor duties of his offices seem to have flagged. One hostile critic complained in 1793 that his letters were left unanswered by Fitzherbert, and in the following year he was described by the first Lord Malmesbury as very friendly, but insouciant as to business and not attentive enough for his post. In more important matters he acted with promptness and energy.
Spain
When differences broke out between Great Britain andSpain respecting the right of British subjects to trade at Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
and to carry on the southern whale fishery, he was despatched to
Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(May 1791) as ambassador extraordinary, and under his care all disputes were settled in the succeeding October, for which services he was raised to the Irish peerage with the title of Baron St. Helens.
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
and the officers of HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1789)
HMS Discovery was a Royal Navy ship launched in 1789 and best known as the lead ship in George Vancouver's exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition. She was converted to a bomb vessel in 1798 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. Thereafter she...
made the Europeans' first recorded sighting of Mount St. Helens on 19 May 1792, while surveying the northern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast. Vancouver named the mountain after the newly created Baron on 20 October 1792,
as it came into view when the Discovery passed into the mouth of the Columbia River.
A treaty of alliance between Great Britain and Spain was concluded by him in 1793, but as the climate of that country did not agree with
his health he returned home early in 1794. Very shortly after his landing in England, St. Helens was appointed to the ambassadorship at the Hague (25 March 1794), where he remained until the French conquered the country, when the danger of his situation caused much anxiety to his friends.
A year or two later a great misfortune happened to him. On 16 July 1797 his house, containing everything he possessed, was burnt
to the ground, and he himself narrowly escaped a premature death. He has lost,' wrote Lord Minto, every scrap of paper he
ever had. Conceive how inconsolable that loss must be to one who has lived his life. All his books, many fine pictures, prints and drawings in great abundance, are all gone.
Russia
His last foreign mission was to St. Petersburg in April 1801 to congratulate the Emperor Alexander I of RussiaAlexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
on his accession to the throne, and to arrange a treaty between England and Russia. The terms of the agreement were
quickly settled, and on its completion he was
promoted to the peerage of the United Kingdom. In the next September he attended the coronation of Alexander in Moscow, and arranged a convention with the Danish plenipotentiary, which was followed in March
1802 by a similar settlement with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Retirement
This completed his services abroad, and on 5 April 1803 he retired from diplomatic life with a pension of £2,300. a year. When Addington was forced to resign the premiership, St. Helens, who was much attached to George III, and was admitted to more intimate friendship with that king and his wife than any other of the courtiers, was created a lord of the bedchamber (May 1804), and the appointment is said to have been made against Pitt's wishes. He declared that he could not live out of London, and he therefore dwelt in Grafton Street all the year round. Although he repurchased Somersal Herbert HallSomersal Herbert Hall
Somersal Herbert Hall is a privately owned timber framed 16th century country house at Somersal Herbert, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in England...
, an old family property, in 1806, he lent it for life to a cousin, the novelist Frances Jacson
Frances Jacson
Frances Margaretta Jacson was an English novelist.-Family commitments:...
and her sister. His consummate prudence and his quiet, polished manners are the theme of Nathaniel Wraxall's praise. Rogers and Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
were included in the list of his friends.
To Rogers he presented in his last illness Pope's own copy of Garth's Dispensary, with Pope's manuscript annotations. Bentham had been presented to St. Helens by his elder brother, sometime member for Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, and many letters to and from him on subjects of political interest are in Bentham's works. Two letters from him to Croker on Wraxall's anecdotes are in the Croker Papers (ii. 294-7), and a letter to him from the first Lord Malmesbury is printed in the latter's diaries. St. Helens died in Grafton Street, London, on 19 February 1839, and was buried in the Harrow Road cemetery on 26 February. As he was never married, the title became extinct, and his property passed to his nephew, Sir Henry Fitzherbert. From 1805 to 1837 he had been a trustee of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and at the time of his death he was the senior member of the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.