STEWART, Hon. Robert (1769-1822), of Mount Stewart, co. Down.

Family and Education

b. 18 June 1769,He was baptized a Presbyterian at Strand Street, Dublin, 5 July 1769. 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Robert Stewart, 1st Mq. of Londonderry [I], by 1st w. Lady Sarah Frances Seymour Conway, da. of Francis, 1st Mq. of Hertford; half-bro. of Hon. Charles William Stewart. educ. R. sch. Armagh 1777; by Rev. William Sturrock, Portaferry 1781; St. John’s, Camb. 1786; continental tour 1791-2. m. 9 June 1794, Lady Amelia Anne Hobart, da. and coh. of John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire, s.p. Styled Visct. Castlereagh 8 Aug. 1796-1821; KG 9 June 1814, GCH 1816; suc. fa. as 2nd Mq. of Londonderry [I] 6 Apr. 1821.

Offices Held

MP [I] 1790 – 1800.

Keeper of the privy seal [I] July 1797–1801; ld. of treasury [I] 1797 – 1804; chief sec. to ld. lt. [I] Mar.-Nov. 1798 (ad. int.), 1798–1801; PC [I] 20 Oct. 1797, [GB] 19 Dec. 1798; pres. Board of Control July 1802 – Feb. 1806; sec. of state for War and Colonies July 1805 – Feb. 1806, Mar. 1807 – Nov. 1809; sec. of state for Foreign affairs Feb. 1812 – d.; plenip. at Paris 1814, 1815, Vienna 1814 – 15, Aachen 1818.

Lt.-col. co. Londonderry militia 1793, col. 1798 – d.; gov. co. Londonderry 1805; custos rot. 1821.

Parlimentarian

STEWART, Robert, Visct. Castlereagh (1769-1822), of Mount Stewart, co. Down; North Cray Farm, nr. Bexley, Kent and 9 St. James’s Square, Mdx.

Main residence: Mount Stewart, co. Down, [I].

Notes

The latest biography is by Wendy Hindle (1981). For his early career see also H. M. Hyde, Rise of Castlereagh (1933) and Ione Leigh, Castlereagh (1951); for his career at the India Office, J. A. R. Marriott, Castlereagh: a pol. biog. (1936), ch. 7; for his diplomatic career, Sir C. K. Webster, Foreign Policy of Castlereagh 1812-1815, 1815-1822; H. A. Kissinger, A World Restored, 1957. A synthesis was attempted by C. J. Bartlett, Castlereagh (1966). Much of his official corresp. appeared in his half-bro.’s Mems. and Corresp. Visct. Castlereagh (12 vols. 1848-53) and some of his private corresp. in Lady Londonderry’s Robert Stewart, Visct. Castlereagh (1904).

Author

R.G.T.

Volume

Commons 1790-1820

Web Title

STEWART, Hon. Robert (1769-1822)

Will

Estates

Oxford 1644

Addresses

Religion

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