John Rutherfurd (died 1758)
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Major John Rutherfurd of Edgerston (12 June 1712 – 8 July 1758) was a Scottish soldier and politician.


Early life

Rutherfurd was baptized 12 June 1712. He was the eldest surviving son of 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 his first wife, Elizabeth Cairncross, who married in 1710. His father was the head of an old Roxburgh family. Among his eighteen siblings was Walter Rutherfurd, who moved to American and became a prominent merchant. A younger brother, 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. His paternal grandparents were Thomas Rutherfurd of Teviotdale and Susannah (née Riddell) Rutherfurd, and he was eleventh 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 ...
. His maternal grandfather was William Cairncross of West Langlee,
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 ...
. He was educated at
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 1731 and became 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 1734.


Career

Soon after he came of age, he was returned unopposed 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 ...
in the
Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a new unified Kingdo ...
. When the
Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fath ...
broke with the
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
in September 1737, Rutherfurd, as a member of the Squadrone or anti-
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
faction in Scotland, received a circular letter from Lord Marchmont, then in opposition, urging his attendance at the opening of the new session. Rutherfurd voted against the
Convention of Pardo The Convention of Pardo, also known as the Treaty of Pardo or Convention of El Pardo, was a 1739 agreement between Britain and Spain. It sought to resolve trade issues between the two countries and agree boundaries between Spanish Florida and th ...
in 1739, and was one of the opposition Whigs who voted against the motion of 13 February 1741 to dismiss
Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
. Rutherfurd was, again, returned unopposed in 1741, he was said to have been won over from the Opposition by the grant of an army commission in December, thereby vacating his seat.


Life in America

In December 1741, Rutherfurd was granted an Army commission as captain of an independent company of foot and left for 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 1745, he was appointed a member of the Executive Council of New York, serving in that body until his death. In 1746, he became a Major of the New York Forces and commanded an attack on the French at Fort Niagara in 1748. In 1756, he was a Major of 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†...
. He was killed at Fort Ticonderoga on July 8, 1758 during the Battle of Carillon.


Personal life

On 27 November 1737, Rutherfurd married Eleanor Elliot (1719–1797) in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. She was a daughter of Helen ( Stewart) Elliot and Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Baronet, of Minto, the Lord Justice Clerk. Among her siblings were Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, poet
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. ...
,
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 ...
Together, they were the parents of three sons and four daughters, including: * John Rutherfurd (1748–1834), who married Mary Ann Leslie, a daughter 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 ...
(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 ...
), in 1787. * Elizabeth Rutherfurd (–1783), 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 ...
, in 1763. * Jane Rutherfurd (1750–1820), 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 ...
in 1771. Since Rutherfurd died on 8 July 1758, before the death of his father, upon the senior Rutherfurd's death in 1764, he was succeeded by his grandson, John, who was only 16, as John Rutherfurd died before his father in 1758. As Rutherfurd's son had no children of his own, he settled the lands of Edgerston, on his nephew, William Oliver, the son of his sister Jane and William Oliver; who then styled himself William Oliver-Rutherfurd.


Descendants

Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was a grandfather of Lt.-Col. Charles St Clair, 13th
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 ...
(1768–1863), which title was confirmed in by 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 ...
in 1782. He sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherfurd, John 1712 births 1758 deaths John Members of the New York Executive Council Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747