(1757 - 1831) of Westbury College, Glos., and Cottles Ho., Wilts, s. of John Hobhouse of Bristol; educ. Bristol GS and BNC Oxf. 1774; M.Temple 1776, called 1781; Dilettanti 1785; m. 1 1785 Charlotte Cam (d. 1791), 2 1793 Amelia Parry; MP 1797 - 1818; cr. Bt. 1812.
1784 - 5 [dep. England Oct. 1783] Leghorn (13 Sep. 1784), Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Siena, Rome (by 1 Oct.), Naples (by 21 Dec. 1784 - Feb. 1785), Rome, Loreto (17 Feb.), Terni, Spoleto, Ancona, Bologna, Venice (6 Mar.), Turin (20 Mar.) [England by Sep.]
With his servant Rotondi, Hobhouse set out from England in October 1783 for the south of France. His health had been poor and after spending some time there he sailed from Marseilles for Leghorn on 13 September. He reached Rome by 1 October, having come through Lucca, Pisa, Florence and Siena. In his Remarks on Several Parts of France, Italy &c. in the years 1783, 1784, and 1785 [1796] he devoted nine letters to Rome which he found quiet, the theatres shut and the only public amusement 'a combat between men and buffaloes in the amphitheatre'. By 21 December he was in Naples. With a Polish Count, who had 'a great deal of fierceness in his countenance', he ascended Vesuvius by night and made an excursion to Paestum. He was presented to the King of Naples by Sir William Hamilton and joined a Royal hunt (which he considered poor sport). After witnessing 'the follies of the people at the close of the carnival' he left Naples for Rome by vettura. From Rome he travelled post to Bologna, via Loreto, Terni, Spoleto and Ancona. In his list of pictures in Bologna he noted that Guido Reni's Peter remonstrating with Paul was 'not only esteemed the chef d'oeuvre of that eminent master, but the most complete picture in Italy'. At this point in his series of letters, Hobhouse explained that his pen 'which had for a long time been unable to keep pace with me, now abandoned the regular pursuit'. He did not describe his visits to Venice and Turin in March. He was back in England in September 1785, the month of his first marriage.