MACART'NEY, GEORGE, Earl, 1737-1806; b. Lissanoure, near 13elfast, Ireland; graduated at Trinity college, Dublin, 1757; studied law in London; then made the tour of Europe, and on his return In 1761 was appointed envoy extraordinary to the empress of Russia, to conclude a commercial treaty with that country, which after some diffi culty he accomplished. Returning in 1767 and sitting for a time in the British parlia ment, he became in 1769 chief secretary for Ireland. Retiring from this office iu 1772, he was created knight of the bath. Appointed governor of the island of Grenada in 1775, he was taken prisoner on the capture of that island by the French in 1779, but was " soon released by Louis XVI., aud allowed to return to England. In 1776 he was raised to the Irish peerage by the title of baron Macartney. In 1780 he was appointed governor of Madras, but resigned in 1786 on account of ill-health, and for the same reason declined the appointment of governor-general of India. Soon after his return home he was wounded in a duel with maj.gen. Stuart, an officer whom he had found it necessary to
remove from the service when in India. In 1788 he took his seat for the first tirne in the Irish house of peers, and in 1792 was made au Irish viscount, and sent ambassador extraordinary to Pekin, the first British envoy sent to China. In 1794 lie was made earl Macartney in the Irish peerage, and returned from China the same year. In 1795 he was sent on a confidential mission to Italy. In 1796 he was made a British peer by the title of baron Macartney, and appointed governor of the newly captured territory at the cape of Good Hope. In 1798 he resigned on account of declining health, and for the same cause declined the offer of a seat in the cabinet of the A.ddington ministry in 1801. An account of his public life, with a selection from bis un.published writings, was pub, fished by his private secretary, sir John Barrow, in 2 vols. Sir George Staunton, his - secretary to China, wrote an account of his Chinese embassy in 2 volumes.