Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham
Encyclopedia
Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham PC (30 November 1738 – 20 July 1786) was a British politician and statesman. He notably served as Foreign Secretary
between 1782 and 1783.
, Austria
, the son of Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham
, British Ambassador to Austria at the time, by his wife Frances, daughter of Thomas Worsley. He was educated at Westminster School
and at Christ's College, Cambridge
,
in 1761, and succeeded to the peerage, because of his father death, in 1770. That year he was appointed to the Privy Council. In 1771 he was sent as British Ambassador to Spain and retained this post until war broke out between Great Britain
and Spain
in 1779. In 1772, while at the Summer Spanish Court in Aranjuez
, he received correspondence from Richard Wall
, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1780 to 1782 Grantham was President of the Board of Trade, and from July 1782 to April 1783 Foreign Secretary under Lord Shelburne
.
, daughter of Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke
and Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey
, in 1780. They had two sons, Thomas, later 2rd Earl de Grey, and Frederick John
, later Viscount Goderich and Earl of Ripon, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
in 1827 and 1828. He died on the 20 July 1786, aged only 46, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas. Lady Grantham died in January 1830, aged 72.
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
between 1782 and 1783.
Background and education
Grantham was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the son of Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham
Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham
Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, KB, PC was a British diplomatist and politician. He was a younger son of Sir William Robinson, Bt...
, British Ambassador to Austria at the time, by his wife Frances, daughter of Thomas Worsley. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
,
Political career
Grantham entered parliament as member for ChristchurchChristchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 1761, and succeeded to the peerage, because of his father death, in 1770. That year he was appointed to the Privy Council. In 1771 he was sent as British Ambassador to Spain and retained this post until war broke out between Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
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...
in 1779. In 1772, while at the Summer Spanish Court in Aranjuez
Aranjuez
Aranjuez is a town lying 48 km south of Madrid, in the southern part of the Community of Madrid. It is located at the confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers, 48 km from Toledo. As of 2009, it has a population of 54,055.-History:...
, he received correspondence from Richard Wall
Richard Wall
Richard Wall was an Irish-born soldier, diplomat and minister who rose in the Spanish service to become Chief Minister. He is commonly referred to as Ricardo Wall.-Early life:...
, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1780 to 1782 Grantham was President of the Board of Trade, and from July 1782 to April 1783 Foreign Secretary under Lord Shelburne
William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne
William Petty-FitzMaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, KG, PC , known as The Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Irish-born British Whig statesman who was the first Home Secretary in 1782 and then Prime Minister 1782–1783 during the final...
.
Family
Lord Grantham married Lady Mary JemimaMary Robinson, Baroness Grantham
Mary Jemima Robinson, Baroness Grantham was a British peeress.Born Lady Mary Jemima Yorke, she was the second daughter of Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey and Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke and was educated privately at the family home, Wrest Park...
, daughter of Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke FRS , and eldest son of the 1st earl, was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.In 1741 he became a fellow of the Royal Society...
and Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey
Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey
Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey and Countess of Hardwicke was a British peeress.She was a daughter of John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland and Lady Amabel Grey. Her maternal grandparents were Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent and Jemima Crew.On 22 May 1740, she married Hon...
, in 1780. They had two sons, Thomas, later 2rd Earl de Grey, and Frederick John
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon PC , styled The Honourable F. J. Robinson until 1827 and known as The Viscount Goderich between 1827 and 1833, the name by which he is best known to history, was a British statesman...
, later Viscount Goderich and Earl of Ripon, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
in 1827 and 1828. He died on the 20 July 1786, aged only 46, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas. Lady Grantham died in January 1830, aged 72.