Benjamin Keene was born around 1697 in King's Lynn, Norfolk, eldest son of Charles Keene and Susan Rolfe. His younger brother Edmund was Bishop of Ely and Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Both his father and uncle Benjamin served as Mayor of King's Lynn, as did his grandfather Edmund Rolfe. Rolfe was also election agent for Sir Robert Walpole, British Prime Minister from 1721 to 1742; this connection helped the careers of both Benjamin and his younger brother. Keene was unmarried and left his estate to his brother Edmund; his nephew Benjamin was MP for Cambridge from 1774 to 1786.
Career
Keene graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1718 and completed his legal studies at the Dutch university of Leiden. Family connections brought him to the notice of Secretary of State and Norfolk magnate, Viscount Townshend, who sent him to Madrid in 1723, first as an officer of the South Sea Company, then Consul from 1724. The South Sea Company was established to hold commercial rights awarded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, allowing access to the closed markets of Spanish America. They included the Asiento de Negros to supply 5,000 slaves a year and Navio de Permiso, permitting limited direct sales in Porto Bello and Veracruz. The company was acquired by the British government after going bankrupt in the 1720 'South Sea Bubble' and became a state enterprise. The asiento itself was marginally profitable and has been described as a 'commercial illusion'; between 1717 and 1733, only eight ships were sent from Britain to the Americas. The real benefit was in carrying smuggled goods that evaded customs duties, demand from Spanish colonists creating a large and profitable black market. There was also a significant legitimate trade; British goods were imported through Cadiz, either for sale locally or re-exported to the colonies, Spanish dye and wool going the other way. A leading City of London merchant called the trade 'the best flower in our garden.' The Spanish resented being forced to open their colonial markets, partly due to the prevailing economic theory of mercantilism, which viewed trade as a finite resource. This meant an increase in Britain's share was at the expense of Spain's and wars were often fought over commercial issues. Utrecht had also confirmed British possession of the Spanish ports of Gibraltar and Mahón and their loss was a factor in the 1718 to 1720 War of the Quadruple Alliance and Spanish support for the 1719 Jacobite Rising. This made the post of British Consul highly important, held by someone of skill and intelligence. Keene's first major role was to negotiate the Treaty of Seville, ending the 1727 to 1729 Anglo-Spanish War. He negotiated the Treaty of El Pardo in 1728 and the 1739 Convention of El Pardo in an attempt to prevent war between the two states. That mission was interrupted by the War of Jenkins' Ear. He was forced to return to London, but after the peace was concluded, set off to Spain again.
Ambassador in Lisbon
In 1745, Keene was sent to Lisbon as ambassador to Portugal – while continuing as de facto ambassador to Spain. He was involved in peace talks along with the Marquis de Tabuerniga in an attempt to end the conflict, but these ultimately broke down. After the war was ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Keene returned to Madrid as full ambassador.
Second spell
Keene was influential at the Spanish court. He played a big role in ousting the anti-British Marquis of Ensenada and helping a new Spanish minister of Irish descent seize power – Ricardo Wall. In the wake of this, King George II conferred the Order of the Bath on Keene, who had the honour presented to him by the Spanish king at a special ceremony. The Spanish king was grateful to Keene for exposing Ensenada, who had violated his policy of friendship to Britain. Thereafter several Anglophile ministers came to power, further strengthening Keene's hand. Thus Spain, guided by Wall, stayed out of the Seven Years' War until 1762 – denying France a major ally and contributing to the decisive British victory. He died in Madrid in 1757, shortly after being relieved of his position due to ill health. He had requested a recall to London on several occasions, but he was considered too valuable to British interests for this to be considered. Keene's place was taken by George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol, who struggled to make the same impact. After the accession of King Charles III in 1759, he failed to prevent Spain from entering the war against Britain on the side of France. Keene's nephew, another Benjamin Keene, was MP for Cambridge.
