Robert Liston (diplomat)

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For the pioneering Scottish surgeon, see Robert Liston.

Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Liston

Sir Robert Liston,

PC (8 October 1742 – 15 July 1836)[1][2] was a Scottish
diplomat and ambassador to several countries.

Biography

Liston was born at Overtoun House in Kirkliston, Scotland, the son of Patrick Liston of Torbanehill, West Lothian.[3]

He studied languages at the University of Edinburgh, and then tutored the sons of the Earl of Minto.[4] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1784. His proposers were Andrew Dalzell, William Robertson, and John Drysdale. He was granted an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1785.[3]

Said to be able to speak ten languages,

diplomatic service and enjoyed a career spanning Europe appointed on 22 September 1793, eventually arriving at Constantinople
on 19 May 1794. He hated it there and left on 4 November 1795.

In a promotion he was posted to the

Talleyrand
. Robert was also on excellent terms with Washington, though relations cooled somewhat after Adams' election.

On 26 March 1812 he was sworn a

Privy Councillor, and on 21 October 1816, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bath.[2] He served for a second time as ambassador to the Sublime Porte from 1812, finally retiring from the post in 1820.[6]

The family lived at Millburn Tower in Ratho. Liston's wife, Henrietta Marchant, died in 1828 and he died at home in 1836.[2] They had no children.[2]

He and his wife are buried in the graveyard of Gogar Kirk. Liston had bought the kirk and burial ground and built a family mausoleum at the site. However, when the kirk was rebuilt in 1890, as there were no descendants to save it, the mausoleum was demolished. It was replaced with a memorial obelisk.[7]

Timeline of career

Listonhill, Robert Liston's residence in Stockholm.
  • Secretary of Embassy to the King of Spain (12 March 1783)[8]
  • Minister plenipotentiary to Spain (1784)
  • Ambassador to Sweden (1788–1793)
  • Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1 October 1793 – 1796)
  • Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the United States (10 March 1796 – 1800)
  • Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Batavian republic (14 August 1802)
  • Extraordinary mission to the King of Denmark (23 June 1803)
  • Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (2 March 1812 - 1820)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Sir David Wilkie: Sir Robert Liston, 1742 - 1836". National Galleries of Scotland. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d Urban, Sylvanus (1837). "The Gentleman's Magazine". 6 (161). London: F. Jefferies: 539. Retrieved 26 December 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-902-198-84-X
    .
  4. ^ a b Taylor, Clare. Simmons, Richard (ed.). "The Liston Papers, 1796-1800" (PDF). Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  5. ^ McCullough, David. John Adams Simon and Schuster New York 2001
  6. ISBN 978-1-4744-6735-3
  7. ^ Traynor, Kim. "Sir Robert Liston obelisk, Gogar Kirkyard". Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  8. ^ "St. James's, March 12". The London Gazette. Retrieved 24 December 2008. [dead link]

External links

Media related to Robert Liston (diplomat) at Wikimedia Commons

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
British Minister to the United States

1796 – 1800 		Succeeded by
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