John Hoppner (1758-1810) - The Honourable Sir Arthur Paget (1771–1840), GCB, PC - 1175940 - National Trust

Sir Arthur Paget GCB, PC (15 January 1771 – 26 July 1840) was a British

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Life

Arthur Paget was the third son of

Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge (13 January 166330 August 1743), of Beaudesert, Staffordshire, and West Drayton, Middlesex, was a British landowner and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1695 until 171 ...

and his wife Jane Champagné daughter of Arthur Champagné, Dean of Clonmacnoise in Ireland. He was a younger brother of

Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (17 May 1768 – 29 April 1854), styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as the Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British Army officer and politician. After serving as a member ...

and the older brother of Sir Edward Paget, an army officer and colonial governor.''The Paget brothers, 1790–1840'', ed. Lord Hylton . G. H. Jolliffe(1918) He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, but did not take a degree.''The Paget Papers: Diplomatic and other correspondence of the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Paget, G. C. B., 1794–1807'', ed. A. B. Paget, 2 vols. (1896) At Oxford, Paget formed a close relationship with Cyril Jackson,

Dean of Christ Church The Dean of Christ Church is the dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and head of the governing body of Christ Church, a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of ...

Diplomatic career

In 1791, he entered the British diplomatic service. J. M. Rigg described Paget as 'a man of easy charm who made his way with little difficulty up the diplomatic ladder, assisted by his moderate whiggery.' In 1794, he was elected as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. He nominally represented this for 13 years, though usually abroad. In 1794, he was sent as Envoy-extraordinary to Berlin to remind King Frederick William II of his obligations to

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

, a service in which

Lord Malmesbury Earl of Malmesbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1800 for the diplomat James Harris, 1st Baron Malmesbury. The son of the grammarian and politician James Harris, he served as Ambassador to Spain, Prussia, Russi ...

the ambassador commended him for his tact.''Diaries and correspondence of James Harris, first earl of Malmesbury'', ed. third earl of Malmesbury . H. Harris 4 vols. (1844) His next appointment was as Envoy Extraordinary to the Elector Palatine and the

Perpetual Diet The Perpetual Diet of Regensburg or the Eternal Diet of Regensburg, (german: Immerwährender Reichstag) also commonly called in English the perpetual Diet of Ratisbon,Jean Berenger, C.A. Simpson, ''The Habsburg Empire 1700-1918'' (2014), p. 134 fr ...

Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...

in 1798, followed by

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...

first at Naples in 1800 and then at Vienna the following year. He remained at Vienna until 1806, being nicknamed "The Emperor" on account of his extravagance. A dispatch in 1802, following Napoleon's creation of the

Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as Napoleonic Germany, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria an ...

predicted the hegemony of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

within

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He was materially contributed to the creation of the

Third Coalition The War of the Third Coalition) * In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...

, and reported its collapse following the

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...

(2 December 1805), a dispatch that is said to have hastened the death of

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

(23 January 1806). After his recall from Austria, he was sent to the

Ottoman Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire. History The nam ...

in 1807, where he told the Sultan of a secret clause in the

Treaty of Tilsit The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Napoleon and Russian Emperor Alexander, when t ...

adverse to his interests. However, he was unable to detach the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

from its French Alliance. He was recalled in May 1809 and awarded a pension of £2,000.

Retirement

Paget had been made a Privy Councillor and

Knight 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 medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

, both in 1804, and was given a GCB in 1815. In 1808, he eloped with Lady Augusta Fane, then the wife of Lord Boringdon, and married her the following year, as soon as her divorce took place. They had several children, including Sir

Augustus Berkeley Paget Sir Augustus Berkeley Paget GCB (16 April 1823 – 11 July 1896) was a British diplomat. In 1876, Paget was appointed a member of Queen Victoria's privy council. Biography Augustus Berkeley Paget was born on 16 April 1823, the son of the dip ...

, who followed his father as a diplomat. He occupied time in his retirement as an agriculturalist and yachtsman.

Scandal

On 18 May 1808, Paget eloped with Augusta Jane Parker, Lady Boringdon (née Fane), daughter of

John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, (1 June 175915 December 1841), styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774, was a British Tory (political faction), Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who served in most of the cabine ...

, and wife of John Parker, 2nd Baron Boringdon (later ''first Earl of Morley'' from 1815). Paget married Lady Augusta on 16 February 1809, two days after her divorce from Lord Boringdon by an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

Family

Paget and Lady Augusta (née Fane) had issue: * Agnes Charlotte Paget (d. 10 Mar 1858), married her first cousin

Lord George Paget General Lord George Augustus Frederick Paget (16 March 1818 – 30 June 1880), was a British soldier during the Crimean War who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. He later became a Whig politician. Early life Lord George Au ...

, son of

* Stewart Henry Paget (b. 30 May 1811 - d. 4 Aug 1869) * Laura Caroline Jane Paget (b. c 1821 - d. 9 Dec 1871), married first cousin once removed Harry Chichester, 2nd Baron Templemore * Cecil Augustus Paget (b. 1821 - d. 1843) * Amelius Paget (b. 1821 - d. 1843) * Rosa Maria Paget (b. c 1822) * Rt. Hon. Sir Augustus Berkeley Paget (b. 16 Apr 1823 - d. 11 Jul 1896), married ''Countess'' Walburga Ehrengarde Helena von Hohenthal He died on 26 July 1840 at his home at Grosvenor Street,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paget, Arthur 1771 births 1840 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Welsh constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Westminster School, London UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs 1806–1807 Younger sons of earls

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Ottoman Empire Ambassadors to the Kingdom of Naples