Matthew Montagu, 4th Baron Rokeby


Matthew Montagu, 4th Baron Rokeby, FRS, 6th Bart., known as Matthew Robinson until 1776, was a British Member of Parliament, and briefly a baronet and Peer of the Realm.

Background

Montagu was born Matthew Robinson, the son of Morris Robinson of the Six Clerks' Office, Chancery Lane, and nephew of Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby.
He was the favoured nephew of Elizabeth Montagu, known as Mrs. Montagu, under whose wish he took the name of Montagu in 1776. He changed his name and arms by Royal Licence to Montagu in advance of inheriting the estate of his paternal aunt at Sandleford Priory in Berkshire, and elsewhere, on 3 June 1776. Wraxall in his Memoir described Montagu's upbringing by his aunt: "At her feet he was brought up, a school more adapted to form a man of taste and improvement than a statesman or a man of the world". Aside from his aunt's training, he was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.
A "faithful follower of Pitt", Montagu represented the Cornish constituencies of Bossiney and Tregony in the Parliament of Great Britain; and St Germans in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
He succeeded his brother in 1829 as 4th Baron Rokeby in the Irish peerage.

Matthew Montagu, William Wilberforce, and Sandleford

Montagu was a friend and supporter of William Wilberforce, and thus favoured the abolition of the slave trade.
Wilberforce, stayed at Sandleford, 27–28 July 1789:
Wilberforce was at Sandleford one night in July 1791:

Fellow of the Royal Society

Montagu was elected a fellow in 1795, when he was described as: Matthew Montagu, Esq., of Manchester Square, Member of Parliament, a Gentleman well versed in many branches of Literature and Science. His proposers were:
Arden; Lucas Pepys; J Rennell; John Sinclair; G Shuckburgh Evelyn; Wm Marsden; Morton; Pat Russell; G Atwood; John Henniker Major; and C F Greville.

Wife and children

He married on 9 July 1785, Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Francis Charlton of Kent, who bore him six sons and seven daughters: