John Methuen

John Methuen (1650–1706) was an English diplomat, judge and Member of Parliament. He held office simultaneously as Lord Chancellor of Ireland and English ambassador to Portugal. In the latter role, he and his son Paul negotiated the Methuen Treaty, the achievement for which John is chiefly remembered. Early life and career He was born in Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, the eldest son of Paul Methuen (died 1667), who was said to be the richest cloth merchant in England, and his wife Grace Ashe, daughter of John Ashe, whose lucrative cloth business was inherited by his son-in-law. The family, whose name was also spelt Methwin or Methwyn, was of Scottish origin: Paul broke with family tradition by not entering holy orders. On his death, John inherited the estate which his father had bought at Bishops Cannings, near Devizes. His father's large fortune was divided between John, his six siblings and their mother; his brother William took over the family business. He attended St. Edmund Hall, Oxford but apparently did not take a degree. He entered the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1674. He married Mary Cheevers (or Chivers), of Quemerford, Wiltshire, daughter of Seacole Cheevers and Eleanor Roberts. Her father, like his, was a rich clothier. They had five children, including the diplomat Sir Paul Methuen, of whom three survived into adulthood. The marriage was unhappy, due to John's notorious infidelity, and ended in separation. As a condition of the separation, he was required to pay Mary substantial alimony. In 1685 he became Master in Chancery, a post he held for the rest of his life, despite numerous complaints about his inefficiency. He was elected to the House of Commons of England as member for Devizes in 1690 and sat for that constituency, with one short break, until his death.