Whitshed Keene

Hatchment to John Weyland, Esquire, of Woodrising, Norfolk, in Holy Trinity Church, Scoulton, Norfolk, who on 12 March 1799 married Elizabeth Keene, daughter and heiress of Whitshed Keene. Arms: Ermine, on a cross gules five escallops argent (Weyland) impaling: Azure, a talbot passant or on a chief indented argent three crosses-crosslet sable (Keene) Whitshed Keene (c. 1731–1822) was an Irish soldier in the British Army and a politician who sat in the House of Commons for 50 years between 1768 and 1818.

Keene was born in Ireland, the son of Captain Gilbert Keene and his wife Alice Whitshed, daughter of Thomas Whitshed of Dublin, serjeant-at-law. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and was awarded BA in 1750. He joined the army and was lieutenant in the 5th Foot in 1754, captain in 1756 and major in 1762. He served as lieutenant colonel and then colonel in the Portuguese army. He then went to Paris, and attached himself to Stephen Fox the brother of Charles James Fox. He soon became acquainted with Lord Hertford, then ambassador, and became his master of the horse and gradually his intimate dependant. He retired from the army in 1768. He married Elizabeth Legge, daughter of George, Viscount Lewisham on 1 August 1771.

Keene was elected Member of Parliament for Wareham at a by-election in November 1768. In 1772 he became Secretary to the Lord Chamberlain, a post he held until March 1782. In 1774, when he was appointed to the Board of Trade, he was required to undergo re-election but having resigned at Wareham, he was then re-elected at Ludgershall where he sat for 6 months. He seems never to have spoken in the Parliament of 1768–1774.