Earl Cathcart is a title in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...
.
History
The title was created in 1814 for the soldier and diplomat
William Cathcart, 1st Viscount Cathcart. The Cathcart family
descends from Sir Alan Cathcart, who sometime between 1447 and 1460 was raised to the
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...
as Lord Cathcart. He later served as Warden of the West Marches and Master of the Artillery. His great-great-grandson, the third Lord, was killed at the
Battle of Pinkie
The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...
in 1547 (his father Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart, was one of many Scottish noblemen killed at the
Battle of Flodden
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...
in 1513).
He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Lord. He fought at the
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside was fought on 13 May 1568 between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, and forces acting in the name of her infant son James VI. Mary’s short period of personal rule ended in 1567 in recrimination, intrigue, and disast ...
in 1568 and was
Master of the Household
The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and foot ...
to
King James VI
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
. His great-great-great-grandson, the eighth Lord, was a soldier. He was a
major-general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
in the army and sat in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
as a
Scottish Representative Peer
This is a list of representative peers elected from the Peerage of Scotland to sit in the House of Lords after the Acts of Union 1707 abolished the Parliament of Scotland, where, as a unicameral legislature, all Scottish P ...
from 1734 to 1740. In 1740 Lord Cathcart was appointed commander-in-chief of the British Forces in America. However, he died on the passage out and was buried on
Dominica
Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
.
He was succeeded by his son, the ninth Lord. He was a
lieutenant-general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
in the army and also served as
British Ambassador to Russia. Between 1752 and 1776 Lord Cathcart sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer. His son, the tenth Lord, was a noted military commander and diplomat. He was a general in the army and like his father served as British Ambassador to Russia.
From 1788 to 1843 Lord Cathcart was a Scottish Representative Peer in the House of Lords. In 1807 he was created Baron Greenock, of
Greenock
Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
in the
County of Renfrew
Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It contains the local government council areas of Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, as ...
, and Viscount Cathcart, of
Cathcart
Cathcart ( sco, Kithcart, gd, Coille Chart)
is an are ...
in the County of Renfrew, and in 1814 he was made Earl Cathcart. These titles were in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, the second Earl. Like his father he was a general in the army and also served as
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...
from 1846 to 1847. On his death the titles passed to his second but eldest surviving son, the third Earl. He was a
Deputy Lieutenant of the
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres).
From the Restoration it was used as ...
and President of the
Royal Agricultural Society. His eldest son, the fourth Earl, was also a Deputy Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire. He never married and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fifth Earl. His son, the sixth Earl, was a major-general in the army and served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords from 1976 to 1989. The titles are held by the latter's only son, the seventh Earl, who succeeded in 1999. He is one of the
ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...
, and sits on the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
benches. Lord Cathcart lost his seat in 1999 but was able to return in 2007 in a by-election caused by the death of
Lord Mowbray. He is also chief of
Clan Cathcart
Clan Cathcart is a Lowland Scottish clan.
History
Origins of the Clan
The lands of Cathcart are named after the River Cart in Renfrewshire. ''Caeth-cart'' means the ''strait of Cart''. Rainaldus de Kethcart appears to have been the progenitor ...
.
Several other members of the family may also be mentioned. The Hon.
Sir George Cathcart, fourth son of the first Earl, was a general in the army. The Hon.
Charles Cathcart, younger son of the ninth Lord, was a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in the British Army and represented
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire (; sco, Clackmannanshire; gd, Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn) is a historic county, council area, registration county and Lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross and the hi ...
in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
. The Hon. Louisa Cathcart, daughter of the ninth Lord, married
David Murray, 7th Viscount of Stormont. In 1793, on the death of her and Lord Stormont's uncle
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, Louisa inherited (under a special remainder in the letters patent) the earldom of Mansfield created in 1776, and became the second Countess of Mansfield, while her husband inherited the earldom of Mansfield created in 1792, and became the second Earl of Mansfield (see the
Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield for later history of these titles).
The family seat is
Gateley Hall, near
Fakenham
Fakenham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, about north west of Norwich. The town is the junction of several local roads, including the A148 from King's Lynn to Cromer, the A1067 to Norwic ...
,
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
.
Lords Cathcart (1460)
* Alan Cathcart, 1st Lord Cathcart (died 1497)
** Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (died before 1497)
* John Cathcart, 2nd Lord Cathcart (died 1535)
** Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (died 1513)
* Alan Cathcart, 3rd Lord Cathcart (died 1547)
*
Alan Cathcart, 4th Lord Cathcart
Alan Cathcart, 4th Lord Cathcart (1537–1618) was a Scottish aristocrat.
Life
He sold Cathcart Castle to Gabriel Sempill of Ladymure in 1546, and was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. Other family lands at Cathcart were inherited by his so ...
(1537–1618)
** Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (1562–1602)
* Alan Cathcart, 5th Lord Cathcart (1600–1628)
* Alan Cathcart, 6th Lord Cathcart (1628–1709)
* Alan Cathcart, 7th Lord Cathcart (1648–1732)
** Allan Cathcart (died 1699)
*
Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart
Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart (1686 – 20 December 1740) was a British Army officer. Before 1732 he was known as The Honourable Charles Cathcart.
Family
He was the second son of Alan Cathcart, 7th Lord Cathcart by his wife Elizabeth, d ...
(1686–1740)
** George Alan Cathcart (born 1719)
** John Cathcart (born 1719)
*
Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart
Lieutenant-General Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, KT (21 March 1721 – 14 August 1776) was a British soldier and diplomat. He was also chief of the Clan Cathcart.
Biography
The son of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart, and M ...
(1721–1776)
*
William Schaw Cathcart, 10th Lord Cathcart (1755–1843) (created Baron Greenock and Viscount Cathcart in 1807 and Earl Cathcart in 1814)
Earls Cathcart (1814)
*
William Schaw Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart (1755–1843)
**
William Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (1782–1804)
*
Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart
General (United Kingdom), General Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart (21 December 1783 – 16 July 1859), styled Lord Greenock between 1814 and 1843, was a British Army general who became Governor General of the Province of Canada ...
(1783–1859)
** Hon. Charles Cathcart (1824–1825)
*
Alan Frederick Cathcart, 3rd Earl Cathcart (1828–1905)
* Alan Cathcart, 4th Earl Cathcart (1856–1911)
*
George Cathcart, 5th Earl Cathcart
George Cathcart, 5th Earl Cathcart (26 June 1862 – 19 November 1927), styled Lord Greenock until 1911, was a British Army officer and peer.
Early life
Cathcart was born on 26 June 1862. He was third of five sons, and six daughters, born to Alan ...
(1862–1927)
*
Alan Cathcart, 6th Earl Cathcart
Major General Alan Cathcart, 6th Earl Cathcart (22 August 1919 – 15 June 1999), styled Lord Greenock until 1927, was a British Army officer who served as Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin from 1970 until his retirement in 1973.
Milit ...
(1919–1999)
*
Charles Alan Andrew Cathcart, 7th Earl Cathcart (born 1952)
The
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
is the present holder's son Alan George Cathcart, Lord Greenock (born 1986)
References
Attribution
*
* Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathcart
Earldoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Noble titles created in 1814