Holroyd, John
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- Holroyd, John
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(1735 - 1821), statesman, of Sheffield Place, Sx., 1st surv. s. of Isaac Holroyd of co. Meath; army officer, cornet 21 Drag. 1760, capt. 1761, ret. 1763; m. 1 1767 Abigail Way (d. 1793), 2 1794 Hon. Lucy Pelham (d. 1797), dau. of 2nd B. Pelham, 3 1798 Ldy. Anne North, dau. of 2nd E. of Guilford; suc. to estates of uncle 1768 and took name of Baker before Holroyd; MP 1780, 1781 - 4, 1790 - 1802; FRS 1783; cr. B. Sheffield of Dunamore [I] 1781, B. Sheffield of Roscommon [I] 1783, B. Sheffield 1802, E. of Sheffield [I] 1816; ed. of Edward Gibbon's Misc. Works.
1764 - 5 Turin (22 Jul. - 8 Aug. 1764), Genoa (13 Aug.), Leghorn (4 Sep.), Lucca, Florence (15 Sep. - 2 Oct. - ), Rome (28 Oct. 1764 - 15 Mar. 1765), Naples (7 Apr. - Jun.), [Marseilles, Antibes] Genoa, Reggio, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, Venice (by 9 Sep.) [Vienna by 3 Oct.]
On his retirement from the army in 1763 Holroyd spent four years travelling on the Continent. In the summer of 1763 he was staying at Lausanne, where he began his lifelong friendship with Edward Gibbon (whose works he would eventually edit). Holroyd described his travels in a journal1 and in a series of spirited letters addressed to his family (Holroyd letters MSS; dates cited in brackets) which together reveal a sharp eye both for people and places (particularly fortifications).
Holroyd arrived in Turin with his travelling companions Major Richard Ridley and Theophilus Bolton2 in July 1764. Their visit coincided with that of the Duke of York, but Holroyd was not in awe of Royalty. He described the King of Savoy as 'a miserable, sneaking, creeping, sore eyed little Fellow', and his Queen was 'a yellow skinny crooked Spaniard without a sound book in her head'. He visited the Academy at Turin, 'the only use of which place for the English is to breed fine Gentlemen. They acquire a thorough knowledge of Dress, and make the Academy Life extremely expensive which in itself is surprizingly cheap. All but one keeps a fine Equipage & running Footmen'. British subjects were treated well in Turin: 'we are even permitted to see the famous subterraneans of the Citadell, an honour not granted even to subjects in other countries'. In the same letter Holroyd described the cicisbeo 'as necessary furniture for a lady, to attend her when she goes abroad, as a footman is in England, & if he is agreable & has any address, believe the ladies are very reasonable' (4 Sep. 1764). He passed through Genoa and sailed to Leghorn, thence to Florence, where he again met Gibbon and William Guise, his old acquaintances from Lausanne.3
James Martin met Holroyd, Ridley and Bolton, newly arrived in Rome, on 28 October 1764.4 Holroyd remarked that the Pope and Cardinals 'are really very like other people, except the Pope who is so overwhelmed with Vestments that he much resembles a Tortoise with a little Head standing out' (5 Dec. 1764). For the Carnival, he and Peregrine Bertie dressed up their dogs and put them in a coach 'with two dogs of their acquaintance' and, 'rolling ourselves up in Skins as Humble imitation of Bears', they stood on top of the coach, pelting 'all our acquaintance to whom at that time we were utterly incog:'; the coachmen and servants were 'equipt as Devils'; their bravado was appreciated, 'the Romans [being] so rude as to astonish by their general acclamation & applause'. Holroyd sat for his portrait, and had a Papal audience during which 'the old Gentleman was extremely gracious rubbed his face & Head, smiled, attempted to laugh' and 'assured me he should be very glad to be of any service to me' (8 Mar. 1765). On 15 March 1765 he left Rome for Naples, the journey being full of 'Bugs and bad inns'. He was presented to the young King, 'a little puny white thing with a very good natured countenance. He is very clever as to managing little Puppet Shows. I do not hear that he is taught anything else' (7 Apr. 1765). In Naples he found Sir William Stanhope 'extremely civil & one of the most agreable Men I ever met with' (7 Apr. 1765).
One of his travelling companions [doubtless Bolton] was taken ill in Naples (7 May 1765) and they stayed in a house in the country with John Wilkes, while his second companion Ridley was on the Isle of Ischia for 'upwards of six weeks for the sake of the baths' (4 Jun. 1765). In June Holroyd left Naples, sailing to Marseilles in the Centurion under Commodore Thomas Harrison. Ridley returned to Marseilles with John Wilkes on the St Pierre, leaving Naples on 27 June.5 Holroyd travelled through the south of France and returned to Genoa where he spent '8 or 9 days' with the 5th Earl of Berkeley. He then moved rapidly across northern Italy to Venice (9 Sep. 1765), where he spent twelve days. By 3 October he was in Vienna, and his last letter was from The Hague on 10 January 1766. Both Holroyd and Ridley became members of Edward Gibbon's Roman Club.6
1. Add.61979; part (relating to Savoy-Piedmont) pub. in Black 1984, 150 - 8. 2. Gibbon Journey, 129. 3. Ibid., 257, quoting Guise's jnl., 15 - 19 Sep. 4. Martin jnl.MSS. 5. Wilkes Corr., 2:171, 173. 6. Gibbon, Misc.Works, 1:200.