(1698 - 1755), 3rd s. of 4th E. of Northampton; educ. Eton and Ch.Ch. Oxf. 1714; m. 1727 Mary Lucy; consul Lisbon 1727 - 42; env.extra. Lisbon 1742 - 5; MP 1754 - 5.
1718 - 19 [dep. England Jul. 1717] Genoa (10 - 23 Apr. 1718), Leghorn (29 Apr. - early May), Florence (May), Siena (13 May - Dec.), Rome (mid-Dec. 1718 - mid-Apr. 1719), Naples, Rome (Jun. - Aug.), Venice (Sep./Oct. - 2 Dec.), Padua (4 Dec.), Milan, Turin (15 - 20 Dec. 1719) [Grenoble, 26 Dec.]
Charles Compton travelled with Dr James Hay, who had previously conducted his eldest brother James (Lord Compton) on the Continent (and would shortly afterwards accompany his older brother George). Charles was idle, had 'never been set in a method', and of his time at Eton and Oxford Hay wrote 'Good God, what a great deal of precious time squandered away'. The tour was expected to make him 'capable to follow some sort of business at his return home'.1
In Toulon Compton and his companion Sir George Brown drank to the Pretender, whom they planned to see at Rome 'if it be possible without danger'.2 Hay then abandoned Compton at Siena for several months before allowing him to Rome, arguing the 'inconveniences' of too many Englishmen in the city, and the unhealthy heat. 'I settled him in a good pension,' wrote Hay in justification, 'gave him his masters, regulated, in writing, all his necessary expences, left with him also in writing, an easy method, how to make a quick and easy improvement in his studies, of languages, history and Mathematicks, with some advice what company to keep, and what to avoid'. Compton stayed seven months in Siena with 'express orders not to move', after which Hay called him to Rome. Governor and charge spent eight months in the city (with a visit to Naples); besides Hay, Compton had masters for fencing, language and architecture. His allowance was modest and Hay had to plead an extra £;50 for a coach ('he cannot decently be without one'). In November 1719 they were detained by bad weather in Venice, but by 4 December they were in Padua, on the road to Turin.3 Passing the wintry Alps was frightful to Hay: 'Crossing such prodigious hills that astonish'd him [Compton] at the very sight of them in a season when winter appear'd in its most dismal, horrible aspect, he can tell you how he was like to leap down the most half of Mont Cenis all at once and God knows whither next, passing all along the habitation of gray wolves, white partridges, grisly bears ... and other strange, hideous monsters whose names I do not know because not mentioned in history.' In spite of Hay's reluctance to visit Paris ('all things being so exhorbitant' prior to the collapse of Law's system), Compton and his governor spent a month there before finally returning to England.
1. See McKay 1986. 2. HMC Stuart, 6:253. 3. Brown 1642.