William Liston Foulis was the son of Sir James Liston Foulis, 9th Baronet (1847-1895), and the grandson of Henrietta Ramage Liston (d. 1850) and Sir William Foulis, 8th Baronet (1812-1858). At his marriage in 1843, the 8th Baronet assumed the name Liston. Henrietta was the grand-niece of Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836). Liston was a diplomat and linguist, educated at the University of Edinburgh. Liston received his first diplomatic appointment in 1783, as minister plenipotentiary in Madrid. He later served in Stockholm and Constantinople (Istanbul) and on 17 February 1796 was appointed Ambassador the United States, where he remained until 1802. In 1796 he married Henrietta Marchant (d. 1828), daughter of Nathaniel Marchant of Jamaica; they had no children. Liston served again in Turkey from 1812 until his retirement in 1821. When Liston died at his home, Millburn Tower, Gogar, Edinburghshire at age 93, Henrietta inherited his estate, which passed to her son James, and then to William, who succeeded his father as 10th Baronet. William died unmarried and was succeeded by his brother, Charles James, as 11th Baronet. [Compiled from sources and references recorded on CMS]