Stanhope Aspinwall (born 5 July 1713 in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and died on 17 January 1771) was a British diplomat. He was born to Richard Aspinwall and his wife Elizabeth Stanhope, the great granddaughter of

Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield (1584 – 12 September 1656) was an English nobleman, aristocrat and royalist, who was created the first Earl of Chesterfield by King Charles I in 1628. Biography Stanhope was the only son of Sir John Sta ...

, the granddaughter of

Arthur Stanhope Arthur Stanhope (1627 – 26 March 1694) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1660 and 1679. Life Stanhope was born at Shelford, Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, the son of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterf ...

and daughter of Charles Stanhope. Stanhope Aspinwall 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 ...

from 1722 until at least 1725. From November 1742 Aspinwall was stationed at

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

in the British Embassy to 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) ...

. In his will dated 14 April 1747, he describes himself as 'Chancellor and Secretary of the British Embassy at Constantinople',and under

Everard Fawkener Sir Everard Fawkener (1694–1758) was an English merchant and diplomat, chiefly remembered for his friendship with Voltaire. His daughter was the celebrated political hostess Harriet Bouverie. Career Fawkener was born into a family of silk merch ...

, until February 1747 ''Chargé d'affaires'' to the Levant Company's embassy. Apparently Fawkener had left the Embassy in a disgruntled state, purportedly for personal reasons. Without an appropriate royal commission, Aspinwall served until the arrival of Sir James Porter On 8 August 1752,

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

appointed Stanhope Aspinwall as his agent and consul general to Algiers. His last appointment was as secretary to

Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt, (1714 – 16 September 1777), known as Viscount Harcourt between 1727 and 1749, was a British diplomat and general who became Viceroy of Ireland. Biography Harcourt was born in Oxfordshire, the son of Hon ...

, Ambassador to France, which position Aspinwall was holding when he died on 17 January 1771. Stanhope Aspinwall’s will dated 14 April 1747 shows that he was married to ‘Magdalena’ (other name ‘Baptistina’) and that he then had two children. One of them Elizabeth later married Sir

William Neville Hart William Neville Hart (27 December 1741 in St James's Palace, London – 23 October 1804, Inveraray Castle, Scotland) was a British banker, politician and diplomat. He was born to Denise Gougeon, the wife of Lewis Augustus Blondeau. His mother wa ...

. Two daughters Cecilia Frances and Margaret Catherine were baptised at

St Marylebone Parish Church St Marylebone Parish Church is an Anglican church on the Marylebone Road in London. It was built to the designs of Thomas Hardwick in 1813–17. The present site is the third used by the parish for its church. The first was further south, near Ox ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

in 1751 and 1754 respectively, both presumably born after Aspinwall left

. Magdalena survived him. On 21 May 1771, in the

Prerogative Court In law, a prerogative is an exclusive right bestowed by a government or state and invested in an individual or group, the content of which is separate from the body of rights enjoyed under the general law. It was a common facet of feudal law. The ...

of Canterbury, Administration (with the Will annexed) were granted to her. Stanhope Aspinwall also translated from French into English ''

Rodogune ''Rodogune'' is a tragedy in five acts by the French playwright Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramat ...

, or, The rival brothers'': a tragedy by Pierre Corneille (1606–1684), It was published in London in 1765. ''Biographica Dramatica'' originally by David Erskine Baker and Isaac Reed in 1764: updated in 1811 by Stephen Jones: Volume III published 1812
/ref>

References

* * * *
British Library, Manuscript Collections: Reference: Add MSS 23807-24, 32725-33070 passim: Letters to Sir Thomas Robinson, Duke of Newcastle etc.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aspinwall, Stanhope Ambassadors of Great Britain to the Ottoman Empire People educated at Westminster School, London Diplomats from Liverpool 18th-century English people 1713 births 1771 deaths British expatriates in the Ottoman Empire