| Authorised form of name | Prior; Matthew (1664 - 1721); diplomat and poet |
| Dates | 1664 - 1721 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Wimborne, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Date of birth | 21 July 1664 |
| Place of death | Lord Harley's seat of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire |
| Date of death | 18 September 1721 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, London |
| Occupation | Diplomat; Poet |
| Activity | Education:
Westminster School; St John's College, Cambridge; BA (1787), MA (1700)
Career:
As a boy, did the accounts for his uncle, Samuel Prior of the Rhenish Wine House in Cannon Row; came under the patronage of Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset (FRS 1699); Fellow of St John's (1688-1721); Secretary to the Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl Berkeley (FRS 1667), Ambassador at The Hague (1690-1697); Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King William (1691); Secretary to the Embassy at Paris (1698-1699); Under-Secretary of State (South) (1699-1700); Commissioner of Trade (1700-1707); MP for East Grinstead (1701); involved in negotiations for the Treaty of Utrecht; Plenipotentiary at Paris (1712-1714); Commissioner of Customs (1712-1714); impeached by Sir Robert Walpole and put under the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms (1715-1717); Benefactor to St John's College, Cambridge
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 23/03/1698 |
| Age at election | 34 |
| Proposer | Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax |
| Other Royal Society activity | Last in 1706 list |
| Relationships | Parents: George Prior, Joiner, of Wimborne, Dorset, and Elizabeth |
| OtherInfo | Known as a notable poet. |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Hunter; Venn |
| Code | NA8370 |
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