Henry Lello
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Lello was an English diplomat, warden of the Fleet Prison
, and Keeper of the Palace of Westminster
.
Lello went to Constantinople
as an attache to the English Embassy to the Sublime Porte of the Ottoman Empire
and in 1598 was appointed ambassador.
As ambassador he was less popular in the court than his predecessors William Harborne
and Sir Edward Barton and was less comfortable also, at one point stating that he was shocked by the extent of the violence and intrigue in the court of Mehmet III and his mother Safiye Sultan
, and in 1607 complaining that bribery was so widespread that the economy was now driven by the level of corruption and that neither religious or civil law had any place in it.
He began his term as ambassador by arranging the donation of an elaborate organ-clock commissioned by the queen Elizabeth I and built by organ-maker Thomas Dallam
. The gift was intended to outshine overtures being made to the Sultan by Germany, France and other European nations in pursuit of trading rights in Ottoman territory. Tension was always high, indeed at one point in Lello's term a snowball fight between parties of English and French developed into a full-flown brawl in which people were injured and both ambassadors were involved.
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
, and Keeper of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
.
Lello went to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
as an attache to the English Embassy to the Sublime Porte of the Ottoman Empire
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...
and in 1598 was appointed ambassador.
As ambassador he was less popular in the court than his predecessors 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 Sir Edward Barton and was less comfortable also, at one point stating that he was shocked by the extent of the violence and intrigue in the court of Mehmet III and his mother Safiye Sultan
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
, and in 1607 complaining that bribery was so widespread that the economy was now driven by the level of corruption and that neither religious or civil law had any place in it.
He began his term as ambassador by arranging the donation of an elaborate organ-clock commissioned by the queen Elizabeth I and built by organ-maker Thomas Dallam
Thomas Dallam
Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in England and Brittany.The first known member of the family, Thomas Dallam, originated from Dallam in Lancashire.-Thomas Dallam I:The first Thomas Dallam Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in...
. The gift was intended to outshine overtures being made to the Sultan by Germany, France and other European nations in pursuit of trading rights in Ottoman territory. Tension was always high, indeed at one point in Lello's term a snowball fight between parties of English and French developed into a full-flown brawl in which people were injured and both ambassadors were involved.