Edward Barton (English diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Sir Edward Barton was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
, appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Barton went to Constantinople in 1578, in the pay of the Levant Company
, as secretary to the founder of the English embassy in the city, William Harborne
and in 1588 succeeded Harborne as ambassador. By this time he was fluent in Turkish and well respected in the court.
This was a time of war between England and Spain, and Barton was charged with trying to obtain the support of the Ottomans in this struggle, while of course working to defend English commercial interests by for example trying to persuade the Porte to prevent Florence
from trading in cloth in Ottoman territory.
In 1596 Barton accompanied Sultan Mehmet III in his campaign against Hungary and was present at the siege of Eger
.
During his time in the city there were difficulties with his neighbours, who were offended by the raucous behaviour of guests at Barton's parties.
Barton died and was buried on the island of Heybeliada, off the coast of Istanbul, where he had gone to (unsuccessfully) escape the plague raging through the city in 1598. His grave was later removed to the British Haydarpaşa Cemetery
in the district of Üsküdar
.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Barton went to Constantinople in 1578, in the pay of the Levant Company
Levant Company
The Levant Company, or Turkey Company, was an English chartered company formed in 1581, to regulate English trade with Turkey and the Levant...
, as secretary to the founder of the English embassy in the city, William Harborne
William Harborne
William Harborne of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk was a diplomat, businessman, and English Ambassador to the Ottoman empire, appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England.-Establishment of the English Embassy in Constantinople:...
and in 1588 succeeded Harborne as ambassador. By this time he was fluent in Turkish and well respected in the court.
This was a time of war between England and Spain, and Barton was charged with trying to obtain the support of the Ottomans in this struggle, while of course working to defend English commercial interests by for example trying to persuade the Porte to prevent Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
from trading in cloth in Ottoman territory.
In 1596 Barton accompanied Sultan Mehmet III in his campaign against Hungary and was present at the siege of Eger
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
.
During his time in the city there were difficulties with his neighbours, who were offended by the raucous behaviour of guests at Barton's parties.
Barton died and was buried on the island of Heybeliada, off the coast of Istanbul, where he had gone to (unsuccessfully) escape the plague raging through the city in 1598. His grave was later removed to the British Haydarpaşa Cemetery
Haydarpasa Cemetery
Haydarpaşa Cemetery, also known as Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Istanbul , located in the Haydarpaşa neighborhood of Üsküdar district in the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a burial ground established initially for British military personnel, who took part in the Crimean War...
in the district of Üsküdar
Üsküdar
Üsküdar is a large and densely populated municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Beykoz, on the east by Ümraniye, on the southeast by Ataşehir, on the south by Kadıköy, and on the west by the Bosphorus, with the areas of Beşiktaş,...
.