Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton

The Right Honourable
The Earl of Eglinton
Member of Parliament
for Ayrshire
In office
1761–1762
Member of Parliament
for Wigtown Burghs
In office
1761–1768
Personal details
Born 18 May 1726
Ayrshire, Scotland
Died 30 October 1796 (aged 70)
Eglinton Castle, Scotland
Nationality British
Political party Whig
Spouse(s) Jean (Jane) Lindsay (1772–1778)
Frances Twysden (1783–1796)
Alma mater Eton
Winchester College

Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton (18 May 1726 – 30 October 1796) was a Scottish General, and Member of Parliament (MP) in the British Parliament. He was also the Clan Chief of the Clan Montgomery. Montgomerie fought in the Seven Years' War, where he served with George Washington. He also was the patron for the poet, Robert Burns.

Early life

Archibald Montgomerie was born on 18 May 1726, to Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton and the 9th Earl's third wife, Susanna Kennedy.[1][2] Montgomerie was one of the 9th Earls 20 children.[2] Montgomerie was educated at Eton during his teenage years. He then went to Winchester College.[3] At age 13, Montgomerie joined the army.[4]

Military career

After joining the army, Montgomerie received a commission as a Cornet. He served as a Cornet, from 1739 until 1740.[4] He received this commission in the Scots Greys. At the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, Montgomerie raised the Montgomerie's Highlanders.[5] He became Major of the 36th Regiment in 1751[6] and was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, on 4 January 1757.[1][3] The regiment traveled to the American Colonies, in 1757. Montgomerie was put under the command of General Amherst.[7] Montgomerie and his regiment fought with George Washington, and Henry Bouquet at the expedition against Fort Duquesne, in 1758.[8][9] In 1760, he commanded an expedition against the Cherokee during the Anglo-Cherokee War. Montgomerie's expedition, which included 1,200 men, was successful in its mission.[9] Montgomerie had several Cherokee villages destroyed, including Estatoe. He defeated the Cherokees, in 1760, at the Battle of Etchocy, and again defeated the Cherokees, in 1761, at the Battle of War-Woman's Creek.[1]

Archibald Montgomerie, by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Between 1767 and 1795, Montgomerie was the colonel of the 51st Regiment of Foot.[2] During his service with the 51st, Montgomerie fought in the French Revolutionary Wars. Montgomerie rose through the ranks of the British Military, and became a Major General, in 1772.[10] He was Deputy Vice-Admiral of Irvine in 1777, within the Port of Irvine from Kelly Bridge to the Troon Point.[11] He subsequently became a Lieutenant General, in 1777.[1] In 1793, Montgomerie was commissioned a Full General. From 1795 until 1796, Montgomerie was the Colonel of the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons).[2]

Political career and Earldom

Montgomerie stood as a Whig in 1761, and found himself elected to two seats. He chose to give up Wigtown Burghs, to sit in the seat for Ayrshire.[3] He served in the House of Commons from 1761 until 1768.[12] In 1761, Montgomerie became an Equerry for Queen Charlotte.[13][14][6] He was appointed Governor of Dumbarton Castle in 1764 and Deputy Ranger of St. James's Park and Deputy Ranger of Hyde Park in 1766.[9][6]

Montgomerie's first wife Lady Jean (Jane) Lindsay.

On 24 October 1769, Montgomerie's brother, Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, was murdered by Mungo Campbell, after a dispute on whether or not Campbell could bear arms on the 10th Earl's property.[15] The 10th Earl died, in the early morning hours, on 25 October 1769 and Montgomerie inherited the Earldom.[2]

He was Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Mother Kilwinning, from 1771 until 1796.[3] Montgomerie was elected as one of sixteen Scottish representative peers, in 1776. He was re-elected, in 1780, 1784, and 1790.[7][6] Montgomerie was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle, in 1782.[9] He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire, between 1794 and 1796.[2] Montgomerie was also the patron to the poet Robert Burns.[16] Burns and Montgomerie kept in contact until the latter's death.[16]

Montgomerie died on 30 October 1796 at Eglinton Castle.[6] The Earldom passed to a third cousin, Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton,[17] but the majority of Archibald Montgomerie's wealth went to his daughter Mary.[9] Mary's son eventually became the 13th Earl of Eglinton.[18]

There is a portrait of Montgomerie in Windsor Castle. It was offered back to the family, by King William IV, but the 13th Earl declined. He felt that it was an honour to have a portrait of his grandfather, at Windsor Castle.[9]

Personal life

Montgomerie was married, twice during his lifetime.[6] He was first married, to Lady Jean (Jane) Lindsay. She was the daughter of George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford and Lady Jean Hamilton. They married, on 30 March 1772.[19] Jean died, in 1778, without issue. Montgomerie married secondly, to Frances Twysden.[20] She was the daughter of Sir William Twysden, 6th Baronet and Mary Jervis.[2][6] They married, on 9 August 1783 and divorced on 6 February 1788 on account on her affair with Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton with whom she allegedly had a daughter.[21]

He and Frances had two children:

  1. Lady Mary Montgomerie b. 5 March 1787, d. 12 Jun 1848. Mary was married to Lord Hugh Montgomerie. Their son, Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, would eventually succeed to the Earldom. It is through Mary that the lineal and male lines of the Montgomerie family would unite. This uniting would return the Earldom of Eglinton to her descendants.[21]
  2. Lady Susanna Montgomerie b. 26 May 1788, d. 16 Nov 1805. Susanna died unmarried. Her real father may have been Douglas Hamilton.[2][6][21]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Chichester 1894.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Peerage #21228
  3. 1 2 3 4 Martin p. 144
  4. 1 2 Freemason's Magazine p. 23
  5. ↑ Lenman p. 66
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Crawfurd p. 257
  7. 1 2 Anderson p. 124
  8. ↑ Freeman p. 133
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Guthrie pp. 78-79
  10. ↑ Burke p. 705
  11. ↑ Irvine p. 161
  12. ↑ Boswell p. 202
  13. ↑ Holman p. 61
  14. ↑ Beatson p. 454
  15. ↑ A dialogue of the dead. p. 27
  16. 1 2 Burns pp. 240-241
  17. ↑ Chisholm p. 18
  18. ↑ Colburn p. 435
  19. ↑ Debrett p. 416, Peerage of England
  20. ↑ Courthope p. 14
  21. 1 2 3 Debrett p. 702, Peerage of United Kingdom

References

  • A dialogue of the dead: betwixt Lord Eglinton and Mungo Campbell. To which is added a genuine abstract of the trial of Mungo Campbell. ECCO Print Edition. ISBN 978-1-170-06214-2
  • Anderson, William, The Scottish nation: or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, Volume 2, A. Fullarton & co., 1877
  • Beatson, Robert, A political index to the histories of Great Britain & Ireland, or, a complete register of the hereditary honours, public offices, and persons in office: from the earliest periods to the present time, Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, 1806
  • Boswell, James, Cole, Richard Cargill, Baker, Peter Stuart, McClellan, Rachel, The General Correspondence of James Boswell, 1766-1769: 1768-1769, Edinburgh University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-7486-0810-9
  • Burke, John, Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the peerage, baronetage and knightage ..., Burke's Peerage Limited, 1914
  • Burns, Robert, The complete works of Robert Burns (self-interpreting) Illustrated with sixty etchings and wood cuts, maps and facsimiles, Gebbie & co., 1886
  •  Chichester, Henry Manners (1894). "Montgomerie, Archibald (1726-1796)". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  • Chisholm, Hugh, Encyclopaedia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, The Encyclopædia Britannica Co., 1910
  • Colburn, Henry, A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire, Volume 42, Part 1, Henry Colburn, 1880
  • Courthope, William, The Baronetage of England, J. G. & F. Rivington, 1839
  • Crawfurd, George, A general description of the shire of Renfrew: including an account of the noble and ancient families ... To which is added, a genealogical history of the royal house of Stewart, and of the several noble and illustrious families of that name, from the year 1034 to the year 1710, J. Neilson, 1818
  • Debrett, John, Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. [Another], 1839
  • Debrett, John, Debrett's peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2, 1825
  • Freeman, Douglas Southall, Washington, Simon and Schuster, 1995 ISBN 0-684-82637-2
  • Freemason's Magazine, The Freemasons' quarterly (magazine and) review afterw. The Freemasons' monthly magazine. Continued as The Freemasons' magazine and masonic mirror, 1868
  • Guthrie, Arthur, Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton, together with relative notes and illustrations, Arthur Guthrie, 1864
  • Holman, Louis Arthur, Mills, Charles B., Scenes from the life of Benjamin Franklin, Small, Maynard & company, 1916
  • Irvine, Scotland, Muniments of the Royal Burgh of Irvine: Miscellaneous muniments. Council book of Irvine. Excerpts from burgh accounts, Ayrshire & Galloway Archaeological Association, 1891.
  • Lenman, Bruce, Integration and enlightenment: Scotland 1746-1832, Edinburgh University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-7486-0385-9
  • Martin, George M., British Masonic Miscellany, Part 4, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7661-5859-4
  • The Peerage #21228
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
James Mure-Campbell		 Member of Parliament for Ayrshire
1761–1768		 Succeeded by
David Kennedy
Preceded by
John Hamilton		 Member of Parliament for Wigtown Burghs
1761–1762		 Succeeded by
Keith Stewart
Military offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Loudoun		 Governor of Edinburgh Castle
1782–1796		 Succeeded by
Lord Adam Gordon
Preceded by
James Johnston		 Colonel of the 2nd (Royal North British) Regiment of Dragoons
1795–1796		 Succeeded by
Sir Ralph Abercromby
Preceded by
Thomas Brudenell		 Colonel of the 51st Regiment of Foot
1767–1795		 Succeeded by
Anthony George Martin
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Office created		 Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire
1794–1796		 Succeeded by
The Earl of Eglinton
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by
Alexander Montgomerie		 Earl of Eglinton
1769–1796		 Succeeded by
Hugh Montgomerie
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