John Leicester, 1st Baron de Tabley

John Leicester, 1st Baron de Tabley (4 April 1762 – 18 June 1827) was an English landowner, politician, amateur artist, and patron of the arts.

[1] Leicester acted also as lieutenant-colonel of the Cheshire militia, and after thirteen years' service was appointed colonel of a regiment of cavalry raised for home defence.

With Colt Hoare and Walter Ramsden Fawkes, the patron of Turner, Leicester contributed to the expansion of patronage to artists in England.

Part of his collection of pictures of the English school, of which a catalogue by William Paulet Carey was published in 1819, was sold by auction soon after his death and realised £7,466,[1][3] then a gigantic sum.

In 1805-1806 Leicester assisted Sir Thomas Bernard in the foundation of the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom.

Leicester was also interested in music and natural history, and late in life discussed with his friend William Jerdan an elaborate British Ichthyology.