Editing John Burgoyne (section)

===Elopement===
[[File:John Burgoyne, 1758, (after Allan Ramsay).jpg|thumb|John Burgoyne, 1758, (after Allan Ramsay)]]
Through his friendship with Lord Strange, Burgoyne came to know Strange's sister, Lady Charlotte Stanley, the daughter of [[Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby|Lord Derby]], one of Britain's leading politicians. After Derby refused permission for Burgoyne to marry Charlotte, they [[elope]]d together and married without his permission in April 1751.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|pp=6–7}} An outraged Derby cut his daughter off without a penny. Unable to support his wife otherwise, Burgoyne again sold his commission, raising £2,600, which they lived off for the next few years.

In October 1751, Burgoyne and his new wife went to live in [[continental Europe]] travelling through France and Italy. While in France, Burgoyne met and befriended the [[Étienne François, duc de Choiseul|Duc de Choiseul]] who would later become the [[Foreign Minister of France|Foreign Minister]] and directed [[France in the Seven Years War|French policy during the Seven Years War]]. While in Rome, Burgoyne had his [[portrait]] painted by the British artist [[Allan Ramsay (artist)|Allan Ramsay]].{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=7}} In late 1754, Burgoyne's wife gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth, who was to prove to be the couple's only child. In the hope that a granddaughter would soften Derby's opposition to their marriage, the Burgoynes returned to Britain in 1755. Lord Strange interceded on their behalf with Derby, who soon changed his mind and accepted them back into the family. Burgoyne soon became a favourite of Derby, who used his influence to boost Burgoyne's prospects.{{sfnp|Mintz|1990|p=7}}