John Udny

John Udny was a Scottish diplomat who served as British Consul at Venice and Livorno.

Early life

Udny was born into Clan Udny on 21 March 1727 in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was the son of James Udny, advocate, and Jane Udny. He was a brother of Robert Fullerton Udny of Udny, Dudwick and Newburgh.
His maternal grandfather was Alexander Walker, Lord Provost of Aberdeen.

Career

He went to Italy and became engaged in business in Venice, where he lived. In 1761, he was appointed British Consul at Venice, holding the office until 1777 when he was appointed Consul at Leghorn. He held that role until his death in 1800.
"During his residence at Venice and Leghorn, he was in the practice of buying Italian works of art and sending them home for sale. He also supplied His Britannic Majesty's ships with fresh provisions when they touched at Leghorn, which was a perquisite of the consulship, and he seemed, further, in partnership with some other parties at Leghorn, to have entered into contracts for victualling the Mediterranean fleet." He also acted as intermediary for Henry Farnum, a Philadelphia collector, and the British sculptor John Gibson.

Personal life

In August 1777, Udny married Selina Shore Cleveland, a daughter of John Clevland MP and Secretary to the Admiralty and, his third wife, Sarah Shuckburgh. Together, they were the parents of two children, both born at Leghorn:

Julia Udny, who married William Richard Hamilton, the son of Rev. Anthony Hamilton, Archdeacon of Colchester and the former Anne Terrick, in 1804; Hamilton later served as British Minister to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the 1820s.
John Robert Fullerton Udny, who married Emily Fitzhugh, daughter of Thomas Fitzhugh of Plus Power, in 1812. After her death he married Ann Allat, daughter of David Allat.

In 1784, Selina and their children went to London with their children. In 1794 his elder brother became proprietor of the estates of Udny. As he had no sons, John became the heir next entitled to succeed. During his later years, John "carried out considerable correspondnece with his brother, and purchased parts of a property contiguous to the Udny estates."
Udny died in 1800. His son John inherited his estate and the estates of his uncle Robert Fullerton Udny in 1802 which, upon his death in 1861, passed, after a legal battle with his extended cousin George Udny, to John Henry Udny, his second son from his marriage to Ann Allat. The younger Udny had attended Eton in 1868.

Descendants

Through his daughter Julia, he was a grandfather of geologist William John Hamilton ; Alexander Edmund Hamilton ; Capt. Henry George Hamilton ; Charles Anthony Hamilton ; Arthur Richard Hamilton ; and Gen. Frederick William Hamilton.