Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh, 1st Baronet ( ; c. 1714 – 18 March 1774) was an English politician and landowner. He was the son of Matthew Fetherstonhaugh of

Featherstone Castle Featherstone Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne about southwest of the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. Medieval origins In the 11th century th ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...

. In 1746, he inherited the estates of a kinsman Sir Henry Fetherston but not Sir Henry's baronetcy which became extinct on his death. However, on 3 January 1747, Fetherstonhaugh was created a baronet of Featherstonehaugh in the County of Northumberland, in the

Baronetage of Great Britain Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James ...

. On his marriage to Sarah Lethieullier, sister of

Benjamin Lethieullier Benjamin Lethieullier (1729-1797), was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1797. Lethieullier was the son of Christopher Lethieullier, director of the Bank of England, and his wife Sarah Lascelles who was daug ...

, in December 1746, he bought

Uppark Uppark is a 17th-century house in South Harting, West Sussex, England. It is a Grade I listed building and a National Trust property. History The house, set high on the South Downs, was built for Ford Grey (1655—1701), the first Earl o ...

, Sussex and the manors of East And West Harting and in 1747 sold the family estate at Featherstone to James Wallace. Between 1748 and 1753 he undertook the

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tu ...

with his brother-in-law Benjamin Lethieullier and his step brother-in-law Lascelles Iremonger. They brought back to

an impressive collection of Italian art. Art UK – National Trust, Uppark
/ref> He served as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

(MP) for Morpeth from 1755 to 1761 and for

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

from 1762 to 1774. In the 1750s he commissioned architect James Paine to design and build

Dover House Dover House is a Grade I-listed mansion in Whitehall, and the London headquarters of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The building also houses the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and the Independent Commission f ...

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament ...

, London. He was succeeded by his son,

Henry Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

. In 1774, he commissioned

Vandalian Tower The Vandalian Tower at Harting, West Sussex, England, is an 18th-century folly, built to commemorate the British colony of Vandalia, a short-lived colony that disappeared with the spread of America. It sits on the summit of Tower Hill. Today t ...

References

Sources

* ''A History of Northumberland'' (1840) John Hodgson Pt 2 Vol 3 p355 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fetherstonhaugh, Matthew 1774 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Morpeth Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Portsmouth Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain Fellows of the Royal Society British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 Year of birth uncertain