(1744 - 79) of Hagley, Worcs, o. s of 1st B. Lyttelton; educ. Eton and Ch.Ch. Oxf. 1761; MP 1768 - 9; m. 1772 Apphia Witts (1743 - 1840), wid. of Joseph Peach; suc. fa. 1773 as 2nd B.
1764 [dep. England Oct. 1763] Turin, Venice, Bologna, Naples (3 Apr. - 16 May 1764), Florence (Jun. - Aug.), Pisa (Aug.), Lucca (Aug.), Florence (26 Aug. - )
1769 - 71 Florence (2 Dec. 1769 - Mar. 1770), Venice (22 Apr. 1770 - Mar. 1771), Milan (Mar.), Turin (by 15 May)
Despite carrying a lock of his fianc?e's hair as a talisman and having his travel expenses covered by his uncle (Sir Richard Lyttelton), Thomas Lyttelton's grand tour was unruly and expensive.1 He incurred huge gambling debts in Venice (which his uncle eventually settled), and fought two duels in Bologna, one with an Englishman. On 3 April 1764 'Tomaso Lyttelton' was in Capua on his way to Naples and he passed through Capua on his return on 16 May.2 His reputation had preceded him to Florence, where Gibbon heard that it would be surprising were he to behave like other people. On 25 June he met him at dinner with Horace Mann: 'Littleton s'est empar? de la conversation pour parler Poesie, politique et chymie avec une volubilit? etonnante. ... sa suffisance, son affectation, et une extravagance dans l'esprit qui tient de la folie, le rendent fort deplaisant.'3 Horace Mann was equally put out, saying that Lyttelton's 'contradictory temper makes it impossible for him to agree with anybody'.4 Between 10 and 26 August Lyttelton made visits to Pisa and Lucca, where he further distinguished himself with his arrogant behaviour, so that he was asked to leave.5 The brothers George and John Damer are said to have accompanied him on his tour, see John Damer.
Lyttelton paid a second visit to Italy in 1769 - 71, in the course of which he incurred a complete rupture with his family (DNB). On 2 December 1769 'mylaedy Letailton' arrived in Florence, where on 31 March 1770 George Jacob, son of Lady Adelaide Lyttelton (sic), wife of Thomas Lyttelton, was baptised by the Bishop of Ossory6 (Lyttelton was not officially married at this time). On 22 April 1770 one 'Lagttelton', presumably Thomas Lyttelton, with 'capitano Monugij'[?] and 'madama Churchall' [Churchill?] arrived in Venice.7 John Gray saw him in Venice later in 1770, describing him as 'most susceptible of delusive flattery of any I ever met with; and, should others be silent, he will trumpet forth his own excellencies'. He had again played at Venice 'like a madman' and left without settling his debts, accompanying Gray to Milan in March 1771. His mistress followed him there two weeks later.8 On 15 May he was in Turin, writing a letter introducing James Grimston and Thomas de Grey to society at Vicenza.9
1. C.S. Sykes, Thomas Lyttelton, 122. 2. ASN cra 1277. 3. Gibbon Journey, 118 - 21 (20, 24 Jun. 1764). 4. Wal.Corr., 22:251 (11 Aug. 1764). 5. Gibbon Journey, 206, 219. 6. Gazz. Tosc. 7. ASV is 759. 8. L. Melville, Life and Letters of Smollett, 245. 9. N. King, Grimstons of Gorhambury, 63.