John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute

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The Earl of Holdernesse
Succeeded by	George Grenville
Personal details
Born	John Stuart (1713-05-25)25 May 1713 Tory
Spouse	Mary Wortley Montagu ​ ​ (m. 1736)​
Children	11; including Charles, William and Louisa
Parent(s)	James Stuart, 2nd Earl of Bute Lady Anne Campbell
Alma mater	Leiden University Eton College
Signature

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John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute,

In 1745, Bute moved to Twickenham, Middlesex where his family rented a house for forty-five pounds per annum.^[8] He met Frederick, Prince of Wales, in 1747 at the Egham Races and became a close friend.^[9]

After the Prince's death in 1751, Bute was appointed tutor to

Bute arranged for the Prince and his brother Prince Edward to follow a course of lectures on natural philosophy by the itinerant lecturer Stephen Demainbray. This led to an interest in natural philosophy on the part of the young prince and may have led to George III's collection of natural philosophical instruments.

Bute furthermore became close to Prince Frederick's widow,

In 1780, Bute was elected as the first President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.^[11]

Prime Minister (1760-1763)

Appointment

Because of the influence he had over his pupil, Bute expected to rise quickly to political power following George's accession to the throne in 1760, but his plans were premature. It would first be necessary to remove both the incumbent prime minister (the Duke of Newcastle) and arguably the even more powerful Secretary of State for the Southern Department (William Pitt the Elder).^[12] The Government of the day, buoyed by recent successes in the Seven Years' War, was popular, however, and did well at the general election which, as was customary at the time, took place on the accession of the new monarch.^[13]

Supported by the King, Bute manoeuvred himself into power by first allying himself with Newcastle against Pitt over the latter's desire to declare war on Spain. Once thwarted in his designs against Spain by Bute and Newcastle, Pitt resigned his post as Secretary of State for the Southern Department. Next, Bute forced Newcastle's resignation as prime minister when he found himself in a small minority within the government over the level of funding and direction of the Seven Years' War.

Bute's premiership was notable for the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris (1763) which concluded the Seven Years' War. In so doing, Bute had to soften his previous stance in relation to concessions given to France in that he agreed that the important fisheries in Newfoundland be returned to France without Britain's possession of Guadeloupe in return.^[15]

After peace was concluded, Bute and the King decided that Britain's military expenditure should not exceed its prewar levels, but they thought a large presence was necessary in America to deal with the French and Spanish threat. They therefore charged the colonists for the increased military levels, thus catalysing the resistance to taxes which led to the

The journalist John Wilkes published a newspaper, The North Briton, in which both Bute and the Dowager Princess of Wales were savagely satirised. Bute resigned as prime minister shortly afterwards, although he remained in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer until 1780. He remained friendly with the Dowager Princess of Wales, but her attempts to reconcile him with George III proved futile.^{[citation needed]}

Post-premiership

For the remainder of his life, Bute remained at his estate in

He financed Alberto Fortis's travels into Dalmatia. His botanical work culminated in the publication of Botanical Tables Containing the Families of British Plants in 1785. Even after his retirement, Bute was accused by many Americans in the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War as having an undue corrupting influence over the British government.^[18]

He died at his home in South Audley Street,

The flowering plant genera Butea and Stewartia are named after him.^[19]

In 1761, Bute was appointed Ranger of Richmond Park by King George III, a post he held until his death; Bute Avenue in Petersham near the park is named after him.^[20]

According to historian John Naish, the 18th-century expression "Jack Boot" meaning a stupid person originated as disparagement of Stuart's performance as prime minister.^[21]

Stuart Island (British Columbia) is named for Stuart.

Luton Hoo

Bute purchased Luton Hoo, or Luton Park, from Francis Herne MP in 1763 for the sum of £94,700.^[22] Recognising that the existing buildings were unsuitable, Bute commissioned the neoclassical architect Robert Adam to oversee the redesign of the estate house.^[23]

Initial designs were unsatisfactory and, coupled with the sale of Bute House, Adams submitted new designs for a larger complex, which Bute further adjusted to include five book rooms and seven water closets.^[23] The building also housed an extensive art collection, particularly paintings of the Dutch and Flemish schools. A fire in March 1771 "did considerable damage" according to contemporary reports.^[24] The project was completed by 1773 but not according to the full plan, the second phase of which was abandoned.^[25]

Death

He died on 10 March 1792, from a fall he had a year and a half prior. He fell 30 feet (9.1 m) down cliffs in Hampshire while collecting plants.^[26] He died in his mansion on South Audley Street off Grosvenor Square.^[1]

Family

In 1736 he married Mary Wortley Montagu, daughter of Edward and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, daughter of 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull. They had at least eleven children:

1. Lady Mary Stuart (c. 1741 – 5 April 1824), married James Lowther, later created Earl of Lonsdale, on 7 September 1761
2. John Stuart, Lord Mount Stuart (30 June 1744 – 16 November 1814), politician who succeeded as 4th Earl of Bute and was later created Marquess of Bute
3. Lady Anne Stuart (born c. 1745), married Hugh Percy, Lord Warkworth, later the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, on 2 July 1764
4. The Hon. James Archibald Stuart (21 September 1747 – 1 March 1818),^[27] politician and author
5. Lady Augusta Stuart (c. 1748 – 12 February 1778), married Andrew Corbett
6. Lady Jane Stuart (c. 1748 – 28 February 1828), married George Macartney, later created Earl Macartney, on 1 February 1768
7. The Hon. Frederick Stuart (1751–1802), politician
8. The Hon. Charles Stuart
   (January 1753 – 25 May 1801), soldier and politician
9. The Hon. William Stuart (March 1755 – 6 March 1822), Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of Armagh
10. Lady Caroline Stuart (before 1763 – 20 January 1813), married The Hon John Dawson, later the 1st Earl of Portarlington, on 1 January 1778
11. Lady Louisa Stuart (12 August 1757 – 4 August 1851), writer, who died unmarried^[28]

Gallery

• 
  The north and south fronts of Luton Hoo as designed by Robert Adam
• 
  The three sons of the Earl of Bute
• 
  The three daughters of the Earl of Bute

References

• The standard author abbreviation Stuart is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.^[29]