Matthew Montagu, 4th Baron Rokeby
Matthew Montagu, 4th Baron Rokeby (23 November 1762 – Montagu House, Portman Square, 1 September 1831), FRS, known as Matthew Robinson until 1776, was a British Member of Parliament, and briefly a baronet and Peer of the Realm.
Background[]
Montagu was born Matthew Robinson, the son of Morris Robinson of the Six Clerks' Office, Chancery Lane, and nephew of Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby.[citation needed]
He was the favoured nephew of Elizabeth (Robinson) Montagu, at whose request he took the name of Montagu in 1776 by Royal Licence in advance of inheriting her estate at Sandleford Priory in Berkshire and elsewhere. He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.[citation needed]
A "faithful follower of Pitt", Montagu represented the Cornish constituencies of Bossiney (1786–1790) and Tregony (1790–1795) in the Parliament of Great Britain; and St Germans (1806–1812) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[1]
He succeeded his brother in 1829 as 4th Baron Rokeby in the Irish peerage.
Matthew Montagu, William Wilberforce, and Sandleford[]
Montagu was a friend and supporter of William Wilberforce, and thus favoured the abolition of the slave trade.[2] Wilberforce stayed at Sandleford from 27th to the 28th of July, 1789:
- 27th. Set off for Bath and reached Sandleford. The old lady [Elizabeth Montagu] wonderfully spirited, are all very kind in their reception. 28th. Almost compelled to stay with the Montagus all day. Mrs. Montagu senior has many fine, and great, and amiable qualities. Young Montagu all gratitude and respect and affection to her and of most upright and pure intentions.[3]
Wilberforce was at Sandleford one night in July 1791:
- Monday 28 July. Off betimes on Sierra Leone business-reached Sandleford (M. Montagu's) in the evening. Dr. Beattie was already arrived.[4]
Fellow of the Royal Society[]
Montagu was elected a fellow in 1795. His proposers were Arden, Lucas Pepys, J. Rennell, John Sinclair, G. Shuckburgh Evelyn, William Marsden, George, 16th Earl of Morton, Pat Russell, George Atwood, John Henniker Major, and C. F. Greville.[5]
Personal life[]
He married on 9 July 1785, Elizabeth (died 7 March 1817), daughter and heir of Francis Charlton of Kent, who bore him six sons, including Henry Robinson-Montagu, 6th Baron Rokeby and Spencer Dudley Montagu, and seven daughters; Caroline married William Godolphin Osborne, son of Francis Osborne, 1st Baron Godolphin, Jane married politician Henry Goulburn, Mary married Colonel Robert Ellison, of the Grenadier Guards, and Eleanor married politician John-Nicholas Fazakerley.[citation needed]
Notes[]
- ^ The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754–1790, edited by Lewis Namier, John Brooke, 1964.
- ^ R. G. Thorne in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820, edited by R. G. Thorne, 1986.
- ^ The life of William Wilberforce, by Robert Isaac and Samuel Wilberforce, 1839, page 236.
- ^ The life of William Wilberforce, by Robert Isaac and Samuel Wilberforce, 1839, page 306.
- ^ Royal Society archive, https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=29&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27montagu%27%29
References[]
- Brooke, John (1964). "MONTAGU, Matthew (1762–1831), of Manchester Sq., London". In Namier, Sir Lewis; Brooke, John (eds.). The House of Commons 1754-1790. The History of Parliament Trust.
- Thorne, R. G. (1986). "MONTAGU, Matthew (1762–1831), of Sandleford Priory, nr. Newbury, Berks. and Montagu House, Portman Square, Mdx.". In Thorne, R. G. (ed.). The House of Commons 1790-1820. The History of Parliament Trust.
- 1762 births
- 1831 deaths
- People from Newbury, Berkshire
- People educated at Harrow School
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall
- Barons in the Peerage of Ireland
- 18th-century English people
- People associated with Sandleford, Berkshire
- British MPs 1784–1790
- British MPs 1790–1796
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall
- UK MPs 1806–1807
- UK MPs 1807–1812
- UK MPs who inherited peerages
- Fellows of the Royal Society