- Benjamin Keene
Sir Benjamin Keene (
King's Lynn , 1697 -Madrid , 1757) was a british diplomat.Keene was twice (1729-1739 and 1748-1757) British ambassador to Madrid. During his first mission he was following the advice of
Robert Walpole . That mission was interrupted by theWar of Jenkin's Ear (1739-1748), so he was forced to return toLondon , but just after the peace was concluded, he set off again to Spain. We can tell then, that he was for 28 years ambassador in Spain. This is one of diplomating records in the 18th Century.Keene was very influential at the Spanish court. It was his merit, that the new Spanish minister of Irish descent seized power -
Ricardo Wall . He also caused the resignation of violently anti-BritishZenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea .Keene was a great connoiseur and an adherent of Spanish theater, and music.
Bibliography
* Richard Lodge "The Private Correspondence of Sir Benjamin Keene", in: "The English Historical Review", Vol. 49, No. 194 (Apr., 1934), pp. 344-345.
Links
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266(193404)49%3A194%3C344%3ATPCOSB%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 JSTOR The Private Correspondence of Sir Benjamin Keene]
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101015245/ Oxford Biography Index]
*http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=P15981
* [http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/k/keene.htm biografia de Benjamin Keene]Further reading
ODNB article by M. J. Mercer, ‘Keene, Sir Benjamin (1697–1757)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/15245, accessed 9 June 2008]
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