Elgin was appointed as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in December 1798.St Clair (1967). pp. 1, 281 n3 On 11 March 1799, shortly before setting off for Constantinople, Elgin married Mary, daughter and heiress of William Hamilton Nisbet, of Dirleton. Elgin arrived at Constantinople on 6 November 1799. As ambassador to the Sublime Porte he showed considerable skill and energy in fulfilling a difficult mission, the extension of British influence during the conflict between the Ottoman Empire and France.Christopher Hitchens, The Elgin Marbles: Should They Be Returned to Greece?, 1998, p.p.10-11 The Treaty of Amiens was signed by Britain and France in March 1802. His embassy at an end, Elgin departed Constantinople on 16 January 1803.St Clair (1967). pp. 112, 120
