Charles Arbuthnot

Charles Arbuthnot
Charles Arbuthnot
Born	14 March 1767; Rockfleet, Co Mayo
Died	18 August 1850 (aged 83); Apsley House, Piccadilly
Occupation(s)	MP and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Spouse(s)	(1) Marcia Clapcott-Lisle ; (2) Harriet Fane
Children	General Charles Arbuthnot
Relatives	Son of John Arbuthnot of Rockfleet; Brother of Alexander Arbuthnot and General Sir Thomas Arbuthnot and General Sir Robert Arbuthnot

Charles Arbuthnot PC (14 March 1767 - 18 August 1850) was a British Tory politician and member of the Privy Council. He served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies between 1795 and 1831, and was Ambassador Extraordinary at Constantinople from 1804 to 1807. His first wife, Marcia, died in 1806, while they were overseas.

Charles was a good friend of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. His second wife, Harriet, became a hostess at the Duke's society dinners, and wrote an important diary cataloguing contemporary political intrigues. Charles served as a Secretary to the Treasury from 1809 to 1823, as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests from 1823 to 1827 and in 1828, and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1828 to 1830. He lived at Apsley House, the Duke's London residence, after his wife's death.

Private life

Arbuthnot was son of John Arbuthnot of Rockfleet and brother of bishop Alexander Arbuthnot. He was born in Rockfleet, County Mayo, Ireland, but much of his upbringing was with his mother's relations, the Stone family.

He was first married on 28 February 1799 to Marcia Mary Anne Clapcott Lisle, at Cholmondeley House, Piccadilly. His first wife was born on 9 July 1774, and had been lady-in-waiting to the Princess of Wales, later Caroline of Brunswick, since 1795. Marcia's portrait was painted by John Hoppner and an engraving of the portrait was made by Joshua Reynolds. The couple's four children included General Charles George James Arbuthnot and Marcia Arbuthnot, who later married William Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley. She died in Constantinople on 24 May 1806.

File:Mrs Arbuthnot.jpg

Charles married his second wife, Harriet (1793-1834) in 1814; by John Hoppner; now in the Foundation Lazzaro Galdiano, Madrid.

After being widowed, Arbuthnot married a second time on 31 January 1814 at Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, to Harriet Fane (1793-1834), a daughter of Henry Fane, MP. Harriet was fascinated by politics. During her marriage to Charles, she became a hostess at society dinners given by Charles' good friend, the Duke of Wellington. During the latter years of Charles' life, after the death of Harriet, he lived in the Duke's house as his confidential friend, and died there. Their story is told in Wellington and the Arbuthnots by E. A. Smith.^[1] which refutes the suggestion that Harriet was Wellington's mistress.

Harriet's portrait was also painted by John Hoppner and it is now in Foundation Lazzaro Galdiano, Madrid. Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait of her is at Woodford, Northamptonshire. Her diaries were published as The Journal of Mrs Arbuthnot in 1950.^[2]

Political and diplomatic career

Arbuthnot was elected as a Member of Parliament to a number of seats in the House of Commons:

March 1795 East Looe
April 1809 Eye, Suffolk
1812 Orford, Suffolk
1818-27 St Germans, Cornwall
1828-30 St Ives
1830-31 Ashburton

Meanwhile, he held a number of ministerial offices:

November 1803-June 1804 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
1809-1823 Joint Secretary to the Treasury
1823-1827, 1828 - First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
1828-1830 - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

He also held a number of diplomatic postings, including:

1800-1801 Consul General in Portugal,
1802-1804 Minister to Sweden
1804-1807 Ambassador Extraordinary at Constantinople.

S. Gambardello's portrait of him is at Apsley House.

Notes

^ Arbuthnot, Harriet (author) and Bamford, F., and the Duke of Wellington (editors) The journal of Mrs. Arbuthnot, 1820-1832 (London, MacMillan, 1950)
^ Smith, E.A. Wellington and the Arbuthnots: a triangular friendship (UK, Alan Sutton Publishing, 1994) ISBN 0-7509-0629-4.

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by	Member of Parliament for Eye 1809-1812	Succeeded by
Preceded by William Sloane	Member of Parliament for Orford with Edmond MacNaghten 1812-1818	Succeeded by John Douglas
Preceded by Henry Goulburn	Member of Parliament for St Germans with Seymour Thomas Bathurst (1818-1826), Charles Ross (1826-1827) 1818-1827	Succeeded by James Loch
Preceded by	Member of Parliament for St. Ives 1828-1830	Succeeded by
Preceded by William Sturges Bourne	Member of Parliament for Ashburton withSir Lawrence Vaughan Palk 1830-1831	Succeeded by William Stephen Poyntz
Political offices
Preceded by Frederick Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol	Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs November 1803 – June 1804	Succeeded by William Eliot
Preceded by William Huskisson	First Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1823–1827	Succeeded by The Earl of Carlisle
Preceded by William Sturges Bourne	First Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1828	Succeeded by Viscount Lowther
Preceded by The Earl of Aberdeen	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1828–1830	Succeeded by The Lord Holland

[1] Arbuthnot, Harriet (author) and Bamford, F., and the Duke of Wellington (editors) The journal of Mrs. Arbuthnot, 1820-1832 (London, MacMillan, 1950)

[2] Smith, E.A. Wellington and the Arbuthnots: a triangular friendship (UK, Alan Sutton Publishing, 1994) ISBN 0-7509-0629-4.

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