Club in 1831 from the unique copy belonging to Lord Panmure. Two devices (pp. 105-6) indicate that the book came from the press of Arbuthnot about 1580. In 1582 he printed the first edition of Buchanan's 'Rerum Scoticarum Historia,' folio, more remarkable for beauty than correctness. He also issued the acts of parliament for 1584. He died intestate 1 Sept. 1585, as appears from the inventory of his effects 'maid and gevin vp be Agnes Pennycuicke, his relect spous, in name and behalf of Alesone, Agnes, Thomas, George and Johne Arbuthnettis, their lauchfull bairnis' (Bannatyne Miscellany, ii. 207). He left two printing presses with fittings.
[Wodrow's Collections (Maitland Club); M'Crie's Life of Melville; Cotton's Editions of the Bible; Eadie's English Bible.]
ARBUTHNOT, CHARLES (1767–1850), diplomatist and politician, one of the sons of J. Arbuthnot, by the daughter of J. Stone, a London banker, whose brother was Archbishop Stone, the primate of Ireland, was born in 1767. He began his apprenticeship in public life in 1793, when he accepted the position of précis writer in the Foreign Office, and entered upon his political career with his election in March 1795 as member for East Looe. He served in important diplomatic positions in Sweden and Portugal, and, after holding for a few months (Nov. 1803 to June 1804) the post of under-secretary for foreign affairs, was appointed ambassador extraordinary at Constantinople.When holding this appointment he was instructed by the cabinet to demand from the Porte the dismissal (amongst other things) of the French envoy. General Sebastiani, the rejection of which led to the forcing of the Dardanelles by our fleet. Mr. Arbuthnot, during this operation, was on board the admiral's ship, and it was mainly owing to his firmness that whatever success attended the operation was achieved. The late Sir Henry Blackwood, in a letter to Lord Castlereagh, described him as having been 'not only minister, but admiral.' On receiving his appointment at Constantinople he was sworn of the privy council, and on his return to England in 1807 a pension of 2,000l. per annum was conferred upon him. At the same time Mr. Arbuthnot abandoned foreign for home service. From 1809 to 1823 he was one of the joint-secretaries of the treasury; from the latter year until 1827, and again for a few months in 1828, he presided over the board of woods and forests; and for two years (1828-30) he held the chancellorship of the duchy of Lancaster. In April 1809, when he was returned for Eye in Suffolk, he re-entered parliamentary life. At the dissolution in 1812 he became member for Orford in the same county; from 1818 to 1827 he sat for St. Germans, in Cornwall, and from 1828 to 1830 he represented the constituency of St. Ives. His first wife was a daughter of William Clapcott Lisle, and a granddaughter of the Marquis of Cholmondeley. After her death Mr. Arbuthnot married Harriett, the third daughter of the Hon. Henry Fane. She died in 1834, and he died at Apsley House 18 Aug. 1850. The Duke of Wellington was much attached to Mr. Arbuthnot, who during the latter years of his life lived in the duke's house as his confidential friend.
[Dod's Peerage; Gent. Mag. xxxiv. 434 (1850); Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, vol. vi.; Political Diary of Lord Ellenborough, 1828-30.]
ARBUTHNOT, GEORGE (1802–1865), a distinguished member of the permanent civil service, was the son of Lieutenant-general Sir Robert Arbuthnot [see Arbuthnot, Sir Robert]. He was appointed by Lord Liverpool a junior clerk in the treasury on 18 July 1820, and served in that department until his death on 28 July 1865. He was then holding the appointment of auditor of the civil list, and was also secretary to the ecclesiastical commissioners. On Mr. Arbuthnot's death, the lords commissioners of the treasury, in noticing his 'singular and eminent services,' gave the following account of his official life:— 'On 22 March 1850 Sir Charles Wood made the following communication to the board of treasury: "The chancellor of the exchequer avails himself of this opportunity of bringing before the board the services of Mr. Arbuthnot, who has acted as his private secretary for nearly four years. Mr. Arbuthnot has been thirty years in the treasury, during nearly the whole of which period he has been employed in situations of great trust and responsibility. He acted as private secretary to six successive secretaries, and two assistant secretaries of the treasury. He was appointed in May 1841 to perform the duties of colonial clerk during the illness of Mr. Brande, and has since acted as assistant to that gentleman, and has executed the duties of colonial clerk during Mr. Brande's annual vacation to the entire satisfaction of the board. In February 1843 he was selected by Sir Robert Peel to be one of his private secretaries, and he has received not only from Sir Robert Peel, but from the secretaries of the treasury to whom he acted as private secretary in former years, repeated testimonies of their approbation. On Sir Charles Wood becoming chancellor of the
