Colonel Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton KT (5 November 1739 – 14 December 1819) was a Scottish peer,

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

and composer.

Biography

Montgomerie was styled Lord Montgomerie from 1769. He sat as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Ayrshire off and on from 1780 to 1796. That year he became

Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire, Scotland. The post was abolished in 1975, being replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran. *Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton 17 March 1794 – 30 October ...

, a post he held until his death. In 1794 he raised a fencible regiment, the West Lowland Fencibles of which he was colonel. In 1798, having previously succeeded to the earldom through his third cousin, he was elected a representative peer and moved to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. On 15 February 1806, he was created Baron Ardrossan in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, enabling him to sit the Lords in his own right. He was made a

Knight of the Thistle A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

in 1814. As large ships were unable to reach

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

due to the silting of the River Clyde, Montgomerie promoted and partially funded the

Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal The Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal, later known as the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal, was a canal in the west of Scotland, running between Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone which later became a railway. Despite the name, the canal wa ...

. However, funds ran out, and the canal was only constructed from

to Johnstone via Paisley. The Glasgow terminus of the canal was at Port Eglinton. Though the wharf is now filled in, the neighbouring Eglinton Street still bears his name. Preparatory work on the canal from the new harbour created at Ardrossan was used as the basis for Glasgow Street, which is the main thoroughfare of the town. Montgomerie was an amateur composer and cellist. His best-known work is the dance tune "Ayrshire Lasses," and other composers dedicated works to him, including

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', wh ...

.David Johnson. "12th Earl of Eglinton", '' Grove Music Online'', ed. L. Macy (Retrieved 20 May 2006)
grovemusic.com
(subscription access).

Family

Montgomerie married Eleanora Hamilton, daughter of Robert Hamilton and Jean Mitchell, around 3 June 1772. They had two sons, and two daughters: * Hon. Maj.-Gen. Archibald Montgomerie, Lord Montgomerie (30 July 1773 - 4 Jan 1814) * Hon. Roger Montgomerie (d. June 1799) Officer in the Royal Navy. * Lady Jane Montgomerie (d. 23 Feb 1860) * Lady Lilias Montgomerie (d. 10 Sep 1845)

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Biography

Family

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Further reading