John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

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For other persons with the name, see John Montagu (disambiguation).

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (3 November, 1718 – 3 April, 1792) succeeded his grandfather, Edward, the 3rd Earl, in the earldom in 1729.

Educated at Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge, he spent some time in travelling, and on his return to England in 1739 he took his seat in the House of Lords as a follower of the Duke of Bedford. He was soon appointed one of the commissioners of the Admiralty under Bedford and a colonel in the army.

In 1746 he was sent as plenipotentiary to the congress at Breda, and he continued to take part in the negotiations for peace until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was concluded in 1748. In February 1748 he became First Lord of the Admiralty, retaining this post until June 1751. In August 1753 Sandwich became one of the principal secretaries of state, and while filling this office he took a leading part in the prosecution of John Wilkes although he had been associated with Wilkes in the notorious Hellfire Club.

Sandwich was Postmaster General in 1768, secretary of state in 1770, and again First Lord of the Admiralty from 1771 to 1782.

Sandwich married Dorothy, daughter of Charles, 1st Viscount Fane, by whom he had a son John (1743 – 1814), who became the 5th Earl. Sandwich's first personal tragedy was Dorothy's deteriorating health and eventual insanity. Many years later Sandwich found happiness with the talented opera singer Martha Ray, who bore him a number of children of whom Basil Montagu (1770 – 1851), writer, jurist and philanthropist, was one. Tragedy was to strike again in April 1779 when Miss Ray was murdered on the steps by a jealous suitor. Sandwich never recovered from his grief.

Contents

1 The Sandwich
2 Music
3 Chronology
4 References
5 External links

The Sandwich

Sandwich was a busy man and invented the sandwich, the name being derived from the family title, so he could eat his favourite food whenever and wherever he liked. It was long said that he invented the food to sustain himself while gambling but his biographer Rodger, however, points out that the sole source of this rumour was gossip mentioned in a travel book by Grosley, and that at the period in question (1765) the Earl was known to be very busy, and it is just as more probable that the invention was for the purpose of eating at his desk.

Captain James Cook named the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii) after him.

Music

After his Naval career, Sandwich turned his energy toward music. He became a great proponent of "Ancient music" (defined by him as music more than two decades old). He was the patron of the Italian violinist Felice Giardini, and created a "Catch Club", where professional singers would sing "ancient" and modern catches, glees, and madrigals. He also put on performances of George Frideric Handel's oratorios, masques, and odes at his estate. Sandwich was instrumental in putting together the Concert of Ancient Music, the first public concert to showcase a canonic repertory of old works.William Weber. "4th Earl of Sandwich", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed May 20 2006), [grovemusic.com] (subscription access). Minor Edit: It was in 1763 that Montague became one of the principal secretaries of state.

Chronology

1718 The 4th Earl of Sandwich is born on November 3, 1718
1729 Succeeds his grandfather, Edward the 3rd Earl, in the earldom
1729 Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge
1746 Sent as plenipotentiary to the congress at Breda, and continues to take part in the negotiations for peace until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed in 1748
1748 Becomes First Lord of the Admiralty
1753 Becomes one of the principal secretaries of state
1768 Appointed Postmaster General
1770 Becomes Secretary of State
1771–1782 Becomes First Lord of the Admiralty again
1782 Retires in March
1792 Dies on April 30

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References

N. A. M. Rodger, The Insatiable Earl: A Life of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich (London: Harper Collins, 1993)

External links

[Montague family history page]
[Guide to the papers of Lord Sandwich, 1718–1792] held and digitised by the National Library of Australia
[Smithsonian Magazine Article on the Earl's Love Triangle]
[The 11th Earl of Sandwich's Restaurant]

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