Sir Charles Sebright

Sir Charles Sebright, Baron d'Everton (1807 – 9 October 1884) was a 19th-century Scottish diplomat who served in the Ionian Islands and a bibliophile.

Biography Sebright was born at Everton near Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, to a family of English origin who originally spelt the name Sevright.

Sebright served as equerry and secretary to Charles II, Duke of Parma. Upon his departure in 1842, the Duke created him Il Barone d'Everton in the Duchy of Lucca.

For his services in the Ionian Islands, Sebright was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1864. where he was also head of the Agrarian Society. He was appointed acting Consul-General at Corfu in 1865 and Consul-General of the Ionian Islands in 1870.

Book collection Sir Charles Sebright's book collection includes a rare copy of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible, with Greek, Latin, and Hebrew translations. The collection is housed at McGill University in Montreal. Sebright likely began collecting books while in the service of the Duke of Parma, a much noted bibliophile who collected medieval and Renaissance-era books and manuscripts. Sebright's collection of nearly 400 books was donated by his brother to the Montréal's Presbyterian College in 1886. Most of the books were printed between the 15th and 18th centuries, and include Italian historiography and literature, incunabula, and illustrated folios. Sebright's collection also contains books on theology – including a rare copy of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible – literature, archaeology, antiquities, and numismatics. On 24 November 1871, he married for a second time at the British Consulate in Naples to Scottish writer Georgina Muir Mackenzie. Georgina was the daughter of Sir John Muir Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet and sister to Baron Muir Mackenzie, and an activist for the rights of Christians in the Ottoman Empire. He met her at Santa Maura while she was touring the Balkans.

Sir Charles was widowed again when Lady Sebright died in 1874 in Corfu, aged only 39. He died there a decade later, aged 77.