Paul Methuen (diplomat)
Sir Paul Methuen (c. 1672 – 11 April 1757), of Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire, was an English diplomat and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1747. He was an envoy to Portugal between 1697 and 1708 and later a holder of public offices, particularly in the Royal household. Early life Methuen was born in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, the son of John Methuen and his wife Mary Cheevers, daughter of Seacole Cheevers (or Chivers). His parents' marriage was unhappy and they separated when he was in his teens. His father inherited the lease of the manor of Bishops Cannings, near Devizes. He was educated privately and then at a Jesuit school in Paris. Diplomatic career Methuen went to Lisbon in 1691, when his father was appointed minister there. He gained valuable diplomatic experience and the esteem of King Pedro. During two absences of his father, he became chargé d'affaires, rising to Minister on his father's appointment as Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1697. He was unable to prevent a Portuguese-French alliance in 1701. When his father returned to Portugal as a special envoy in 1702, they were successful in breaking the alliance in 1703. That led to