John Rutherfurd of Edgerston (1748 – 6 May 1834) was a Scottish soldier and politician.

Early life

Rutherfurd was born in New York in 1748. He was the only son of

John Rutherfurd John Rutherfurd (September 20, 1760February 23, 1840) was an American politician and land surveyor. He represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1791 to 1798. Early life John Rutherfurd was born on September 20, 1760 in New York C ...

(1712–1758) and Eleanor ( Elliot) Rutherfurd (1719–1797). John had two sisters, Elizabeth Rutherfurd (who married Andrew St Clair of Herdmanston, ''

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...

'' 12th

Lord Sinclair Lord Sinclair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. According to James Balfour Paul's ''The Scots Peerage'', volume VII published in 1910, the first person to be styled Lord Sinclair was William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney and 1st Earl of Cai ...

, parents of

Charles St Clair, 13th Lord Sinclair Lt.-Col. Charles St Clair, 13th Lord Sinclair (30 July 1768 – 30 September 1863) was a Scottish noble and representative peer. Early life Charles Sinclair was born on 30 July 1768. He was the eldest son of Elizabeth ( Rutherfurd) St Clair (–1 ...

) and Jane Rutherfurd (who married William Oliver of

Dinlabyre Dinlabyre is a village on the B6357 in Liddesdale, on the edge of the Newcastleton Forest, close to Castleton, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire. Places nearby include Hermitage, Hermitage Castle, the Hermitag ...

). After serving as an MP for

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

, his father served in the

Royal American Regiment The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

, but was killed at

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French mi ...

during the

Battle of Carillon The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, Chartrand (2000), p. 57 was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War (which was part of the global Seven Years' War). It was fought near Fort Carillon (now k ...

in 1758. His maternal grandparents were Helen ( Stewart) Elliot and

Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Baronet, of Minto Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Baronet, (of Minto) (16 April 1766) was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge from Minto in the Scottish Borders. From 1763 until his death 3 years later, he was Lord Justice Clerk, the second most senior judge in Sco ...

, the

Lord Justice Clerk The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. Originally ''clericus justiciarie'' or Clerk to the Court of Justiciary, the counterpart in the criminal courts of the Lord ...

. Among his maternal family members were his uncles Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet,

Andrew Elliot Andrew Elliot (November 1728 – 25 May 1797) was a British merchant and official who served as the Acting and last British Governor of New York in 1783. Early life Elliot was born November 1728 in Edinburgh, the son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, ...

(who served as acting colonial governor of the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...

in 1783), and Admiral John Elliot of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and aunt

Jean Elliot Jean Elliot (April 1727 – 29 March 1805), also known as Jane Elliot, was a Scottish poet. She wrote one of the most famous versions of '' The Flowers of the Forest'', a song lamenting the Scottish army's defeat in the Battle of Flodden. ...

, a prominent poet. His paternal grandparents were Sir John Rutherfurd of Rutherfurd and

Edgerston Edgerston is a village and an estate about north of the Anglo-Scottish border, and south of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland in the former Roxburghshire. According to the Clan Rutherfurd family history site, Edgerston was p ...

, and Elizabeth ( Cairncross) Rutherfurd. John was twelfth in descent from James Rutherfurd of

Clan Rutherford Clan Rutherford or Rutherfurd/Rutherford (surname), Rutherfurd is a Lowland Scottish clan of the Scottish Borders. The clan is officially recognized by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, however as it does not currently have a Scottish clan chief, clan ...

, who was granted the manorial lands of Edgerston in 1492 by King

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...

. Among his paternal family was uncle

Walter Rutherfurd Walter Rutherfurd (December 29, 1723 – January 10, 1804) was a Scottish-American soldier and merchant who served as the president of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York. Early life Rutherfurd was born on December 29, 1723, in Ed ...

, who moved to American and became a prominent merchant (and the father of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

). Another uncle, Sir

Robert Rutherfurd Sir Robert Rutherfurd (31 May 1719 – 13 February 1794) was a Scottish merchant who was made a Baron of the Russian Empire. Early life Rutherfurd was born on 31 May 1719. He was the fourth son of Sir John Rutherfurd of Rutherfurd and Edgerston, a ...

, was created a Baron of Russia by

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

in 1768. He qualified as an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

in 1770 and was admitted to

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

in 1771.

Career

Rutherfurd declared his candidature for

(where his father had been member 50 years before) in 1787, under the aegis of the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. "His unpopularity was reported to be as positive as that of the sitting Member, Sir George Douglas, was negative, for he was 'snappish, petulant and assuming'." He declined a compromise with his cousin Sir Gilbert Elliot, who ensured his defeat at the election of 1790. Soon after acquiring most of his father-in-law's fortune (who died in 1794), he assured Buccleuch in 1796 that although "his windfall enabled him to consider becoming county Member in place of Douglas, he preferred Douglas's continuing or the adoption of another candidate to coming in himself or swallowing Sir Gilbert Elliot’s return." Buccleuch accordingly considered him out of the question, but in 1802 procured his return for

Selkirkshire Selkirkshire or the County of Selkirk ( gd, Siorrachd Shalcraig) is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. It borders Peeblesshire to the west, Midlothian to the north, Roxburghshire to the east, and Dumfriesshire to the south. ...

. In December 1803, he became vice-lieutenant in Roxburghshire. After becoming the Member for

in 1806, he took three leaves of absence from 29 April 1812 until the dissolution.

Edgerston

Since his father (who died in 1758) predeceased his grandfather (who died in 1764), upon the latter's death, sixteen year-old John succeeded to his grandfather's vast Scottish estates. He was also heir of his uncle, Baron Robert Rutherfurd of Fairnington. Rutherfurd was known as a great benefactor to

. In 1793 he built on the two wings with their Venetian windows and the semi-circular tower at the south side of the house. In a letter written by his uncle, Baron Robert Rutherfurd to another uncle,

, "Fairnington, Oct 28, 1788, Dear Walter, I want to send you a copy of the plan of the improvements that our nephew is making at Edgerston. He is putting on two wings at a cost of 3,000 and when it is completed it will be one of the finest seats in the Shire." In a letter between the same uncles, "Fairnington, Nov 26, 1792. Edgerston House by being repaired with additions is now one of the handsomest and most commodious of any in this county."Coventry, Martin. (2008). ''Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans''. pp. 509 - 510. .

Personal life

On 15 June 1787, Rutherfurd married Mary Ann Leslie, the only child of Maj.-Gen.

Alexander Leslie Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (15804 April 1661) was a Scottish soldier in Swedish and Scottish service. Born illegitimate and raised as a foster child, he subsequently advanced to the rank of a Swedish Field Marshal, and in Scotland be ...

and Mary ( Tullidelph) Leslie. Mary's father was a younger son of

Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven Alexander Melville (also Alexander Leslie), 5th Earl of Leven (28 May 1695 – 2 September 1754) was a Scottish aristocrat. Early life He was the son of David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven (1660–1728) and Lady Anne Wemyss (1675–1702). His mo ...

. As Rutherfurd had no children of his own, he settled the lands of Edgerston, on his nephew, William Oliver (the son of his sister Jane), who then styled himself William Oliver-Rutherfurd, who built the Tower at Edgerston in 1840.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherfurd, John 1748 births 1834 deaths

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812