John Methuen (diplomat)
| John Methuen | |
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"The Rt Hon John Methuen as Lord Chancellor of Ireland", by Adrien Carpentiers
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1650 Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England |
| Died | 2 July 1706 (age 55-56) Lisbon, Portugal |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Cheevers |
| Children | Sir Paul Methuen, Isabella Methuen |
| Occupation | Politician |
John Methuen (1650–1706) was an English diplomat and judge. He held office simultaneously as Lord Chancellor of Ireland and English ambassador to Portugal. In the latter role he and his son Paul negotiated the Methuen Treaty, the achievement for which John is chiefly remembered.
He was born in Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, the eldest son of Paul Methuen (died 1667), who was said to be the richest cloth merchant in England of his time, and his wife Grace Ashe. He attended St. Edmund Hall, Oxford but did not take a degree. He entered the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1674. He married Mary Cheevers, whose father like his own was a rich clothier: they had five children including the diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. The marriage was unhappy, no doubt due to John's notorious infidelity, and ended in separation.
In 1685 he became Master in Chancery, a post he held for the rest of his life. He was elected to the House of Commons of England as member for Devizes in 1690 and served that constituency, with one short break, until his death.
He was appointed the English envoy to Portugal in 1691, to his delight, as he looked forward to a "not too onerous position in an agreeable climate". He established good relations with King Pedro II which were of value later in negotiating the Methuen Treaty, but was required to return to England on his appointment to the Council of Trade, while his son Paul remained in Lisbon to act as deputy envoy. John had two powerful friends in James Vernon, the Under-Secretary of State, and Vernon's great patron Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, who, though he was not then a Minister, was probably King William's closest political adviser. On the death of Sir Charles Porter they recommended Methuen as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Although Lord Somers, the English Lord Chancellor, thought little of Methuen, saying that he knew of "nothing that qualified him for such an office", Sunderland at that time effectively controlled Court patronage, and Methuen was duly appointed.
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