Benjamin Keene
Encyclopedia
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
known for his service as British Ambassador to Spain. He strove to maintain good relations between the two countries, although he was unable to prevent the War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
breaking out in 1739 he later successfully kept Spain neutral when the Seven Years War broke out in 1756. At the height of his powers he wielded enormous influence over events in Spain, and was a confidante
Confidante
A confidante is a type of sofa, originally characterized by a triangular seat at each end, so that people could sit at either end of the sofa and be close to the person sitting in the middle...
of many of the leading Spanish statesmen.
Early life
Keene was born in King's LynnKing's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, a coastal town in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It was the parliamentary constituency of Sir Robert Walpole who rose to become Prime Minister in 1721. He was acquaintated with Keene's family - and extended his patronage to the young man. After attending King's Lynn Grammar School before securing a post working for the South Sea Company. Keene subsequently joined the British diplomatic service and swiftly rose to prominence. His connection to Walpole helped his career, as the Prime Minister was glad to have a man who had a personal loyalty to him leading foreign capitals.
First spell
During his first mission he was following the advice of Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
. That mission was interrupted by the War of Jenkin's Ear (1739–1748), so he was forced to return to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but just after the peace was concluded, he set off again to Spain. He negotiated the Treaty of El Pardo
Treaty of El Pardo (1728)
The Treaty of El Pardo was concluded between Great Britain and Spain in March 1728 at the El Pardo Palace in Madrid....
in 1728 and the 1739 Convention of El Pardo in an attempt to prevent war between the two states. In spite of this the War of Jenkins Ear broke out.
Ambassador to Lisbon
Following his departure from Spain in 1739, Keene was sent to Lisbon as Ambassador to Portugal - while also continuing to function as a de facto Ambassador to Spain. He was involved in peace talks along with the Marquis de Tabernuiga in attempt to end the conflict, but these ultimately broke down. When the war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Aix-la-ChapelleTreaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 ended the War of the Austrian Succession following a congress assembled at the Imperial Free City of Aachen—Aix-la-Chapelle in French—in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, on 24 April 1748...
, Keene returned to Madrid and resumed his former role as Ambassador for a second spell.
Second spell
Keene was very influential at the Spanish court. He played a major role in outsting the anti-British Marquis of EnsenadaZenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, Marquis of Ensenada
Don Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea , widely known as the Marquis of the Ensenada, was a Spanish statesman.-Early life:...
and helping the new Spanish minister of Irish descent seize power - Ricardo Wall. In the wake of this, George II conferred the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
on Keene, who had the honour presented to him by the Spanish King in a special ceremony. The King was grateful to Keene for exposing Ensenada who had violated the monarch's policy of friendship to Britain. In the wake of this a number of Anglophile ministers came to power, further strengthening the hand of Keene.
Because of this, Spain guided by Wall, stayed out of the Seven Years War until 1762 - denying France one of their major allies and contributing to the descvisive British victory in that war. He died in Madrid shortly after being relieved of his position due to ill health. He had requested his recall to London on several occasions but he was considered too valuable to British interests for his withdrawal to be considered.
Following his death in 1757 his position was taken by George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol
George William Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol , the eldest son of John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, by his marriage with Mary , daughter of Nicholas Lepell....
. Bristol struggled to make the same impact as Keene had, and following the accession of a new King in 1759, he was unable to prevent Spain entereing the war on the side of Spain(??).
External links
- JSTOR The Private Correspondence of Sir Benjamin Keene
- Oxford Biography Index
- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=P15981
- biografia de Benjamin Keene