Robert Sutton (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Sutton KB
(1671 – 13 August 1746) was an English diplomat and then politician.
, Nottinghamshire
, and his wife, Katherine, the daughter of the Revd William Sherborne of Pembridge
, Herefordshire
. He was admitted to Trinity College, Oxford
in 1688 and went on the Middle Temple
in 1691.
, English Envoy in Vienna in 1694. In 1697, he was appointed as secretary to the British legation there, and upon the departure of bis cousin became the English resident there. Lexinton then secured for him the English
ambassador
to the Ottoman Empire
in Constantinople
in 1700, and he arrived in Adrianople in 1702. He remained there until 1717, but afterwards served with Abraham Stanyan
as joint mediator at the Austro-Turkish peace congress at Passarowitz in 1718. His final diplomatic posting was as ambassador to France in 1720, but was superseded the following year. Following his return to England, he bought estates in Lincolnshire
and Nottinghamshire
, worth nearly £5000 a year, with a house at Broughton, Lincolnshire
.
in 1722. He became a member of the committee of Charitable Corporation
in 1725, and made money by insider trading in its shares. He was expelled from the House of Commons 4 May 1732 for a false statement that the company's authorized capital had been exhausted, allowing it to issue more (and so finance the corrupt speculation of other directors). He was also sub-governor of the Royal Africa Company from 1726. However, he was elected unopposed in 1734 for Great Grimsby.
He was appointed a member of the Privy Council 9 May 1722
He was great-nephew of the 1st Baron Lexinton
. He married Judith Tichborne, daughter of Benjamin Tichborne. Their children included Sir Richard Sutton, 1st Baronet
.
He is famed in the horse racing
world for having brought to England the original Alcock Arabian
grey
, from which all Thoroughbred
greys have descended.
He was also patron of the cleric William Warburton
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1671 – 13 August 1746) was an English diplomat and then politician.
Early life
He was the elder son of Robert Sutton of AverhamAverham
Averham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent.-Averham weir:...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, and his wife, Katherine, the daughter of the Revd William Sherborne of Pembridge
Pembridge
Pembridge is a village located just south of the River Arrow on the A44 between Leominster and Kington in Herefordshire, England.Describing itself as The Jewel in the Crown of the Black and White Village Trail, Pembridge has a history stretching back at least eight hundred years and is notable for...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. He was admitted to Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
in 1688 and went on the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1691.
Diplomat
He was ordained a deacon and became chaplain to his cousin Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron LexintonRobert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton
Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton PC was an English diplomat.-Family:He was the son of Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton and his third wife Mary St. Leger.On 14 September 1691, he married Margaret Hungerford Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton PC (6 January 1662 – 19 September 1723) was an English...
, English Envoy in Vienna in 1694. In 1697, he was appointed as secretary to the British legation there, and upon the departure of bis cousin became the English resident there. Lexinton then secured for him the English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to 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...
in 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:...
in 1700, and he arrived in Adrianople in 1702. He remained there until 1717, but afterwards served with Abraham Stanyan
Abraham Stanyan
Abraham Stanyan was an English politician and diplomat.After becoming a student in the Middle Temple, he served as secretary to Sir William Trumbull as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and later to the Earl of Manchester as Ambassador to the Venice in 1697–1698 and then in France in 1699–1700. ...
as joint mediator at the Austro-Turkish peace congress at Passarowitz in 1718. His final diplomatic posting was as ambassador to France in 1720, but was superseded the following year. Following his return to England, he bought estates in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, worth nearly £5000 a year, with a house at Broughton, Lincolnshire
Broughton, Lincolnshire
Broughton is a small town and civil parish situated on the Roman Ermine Street, in the North Lincolnshire district of Lincolnshire. England. The hamlet of Wressle is part of the parish....
.
Politician and financier
Having become rich in diplomatic service, he was elected Whig MP NottinghamshireNottinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottinghamshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in 1722. He became a member of the committee of Charitable Corporation
Charitable Corporation
The Charitable Corporation was an institution in Britain intended to provide loans at low interest to the deserving poor, including by large-scale pawnbroking. It was established by charter in 1707. Its full title was "Charitable Corporation for the relief of the industrious poor by assisting them...
in 1725, and made money by insider trading in its shares. He was expelled from the House of Commons 4 May 1732 for a false statement that the company's authorized capital had been exhausted, allowing it to issue more (and so finance the corrupt speculation of other directors). He was also sub-governor of the Royal Africa Company from 1726. However, he was elected unopposed in 1734 for Great Grimsby.
He was appointed a member of the Privy Council 9 May 1722
He was great-nephew of the 1st Baron Lexinton
Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton
Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton was a Royalist MP in 1625 and 1640.-Family:He was the son of Sir William Sutton of Averham, Nottinghamshire,Lord Lexinton was thrice married....
. He married Judith Tichborne, daughter of Benjamin Tichborne. Their children included Sir Richard Sutton, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Sutton, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Sutton, 1st Baronet , of Norwood Park in Nottinghamshire was an English Member of Parliament....
.
He is famed in the horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
world for having brought to England the original Alcock Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
grey
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
, from which all Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
greys have descended.
He was also patron of the cleric William Warburton
William Warburton
William Warburton was an English critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759.-Life:He was born at Newark, where his father, who belonged to an old Cheshire family, was town clerk. William was educated at Oakham and Newark grammar schools, and in 1714 he was articled to Mr Kirke, an...
.
See also
- List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to the Ottoman Empire
- Sutton BaronetsSutton BaronetsThere have been four Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Sutton, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2008....