Stratford Canning, 1st Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe

Short Biography

Stratford Canning, 1st Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe KG GCB PC (4 November 1786 – 14 August 1880), was a British diplomat and politician, best known as the longtime British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. A descendant of the historic Stratford Family and cousin of George Canning, he was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister-Plenipotentiary to the United States between 1820 and 1824 and held his first appointment as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire between 1825 and 1828. He intermittently represented several constituencies in parliament between 1828 and 1842. In 1841 he was once again appointed Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, a position he held for the next 17 years. Canning came to be seen as one of the leading figures in Istanbul, as British influence over the Porte increased and the Turks came to be seen more and more as British clients. In 1852 he was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, probably in reference to his supposed descent from the great 15th century merchant family of Canynges of Redcliffe near Bristol. However, despite his illustrious diplomatic career Canning's hopes of high political office were frequently dashed.