Sir George William Abercromby of Birkenbog, 8th Baronet DSO (18 March 1886 – 9 September 1964) was a Scottish

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

and landowner, who served as

Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Scotland. *James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife 17 March 1794 – 24 January 1809 *''In commission'' 1809–1813 **Sir George Abercromby, 4th Baron Abercromby **Francis Garden Ca ...

between 1946 and 1964.

Background

The

Abercromby baronets The Abercromby Baronetcy, of Birkenbog in the County of Banff, was a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 20 February 1636 for Alexander Abercromby, who subsequently represented Banffshire in the Scottish Parliament. His ...

descend from Humphrey Abercromby of Pitmedden (died circa 1457) and the title was created in the

Baronetage of Nova Scotia Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James I ...

on 20 February 1636. Abercromby was born in 1886, the elder son of Sir Robert Abercromby, 7th Baronet and his wife Florence, daughter of Eyre Coote. His father died in 1895 at which time he succeeded to the baronetcy, aged only nine. His mother subsequently married in 1899,

Francis Baring, 2nd Earl of Northbrook Francis George Baring, 2nd Earl of Northbrook (8 December 1850 – 12 April 1929), styled Viscount Baring from 1876 to 1904, was a British politician. Early life Northbrook was the eldest and only surviving son of Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of No ...

. Abercromby was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

. His extensive estate was situated principally around the town of

Turriff Turriff () is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It lies on the River Deveron, about above sea level, and has a population of 5,708. In everyday speech it is often referred to by its Scots name ''Turra'', which is derived fr ...

with the family seat being

Forglen House Forglen House is a mansion house that forms the centrepiece of the Forglen estate in the parish of Forglen, north-west of Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in the north-east of Scotland. The lands were given to the abbots of the Abbey of Arbroath by Kin ...

, a property which had been inherited by the Abercromby family from William Ogilvy, 8th Lord Banff.

Career

Abercromby was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant into the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

in 1906.Dod (1915), p. 40 Three years later he was promoted to lieutenant in the 6th Battalion

Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

and afterwards served as aide-de-camp to the Sir Neville Lyttelton in his capacity as

Commander-in-Chief of Ireland Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, was title of the commander of the British forces in Ireland before 1922. Until the Act of Union in 1800, the position involved command of the distinct Irish Army of the Kingdom of Ireland. History Marshal of Ireland ...

. He became captain in 1914 and was later advanced to lieutenant-colonel and brevet-colonel commanding the 6th Battalion of his regiment. Abercromby saw service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and was mentioned in despatches. In 1917 he was decorated with the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

. After his retirement he was appointed honorary colonel of his former Battalion in 1931. Abercromby was nominated Deputy Lieutenant for Banffshire in 1928 and subsequently was appointed Vice Lieutenant. He sat in the Banff County Council for many years and was sometime its convener. In 1946, he succeeded James Archibald as

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

and held this post a few months before his death.

Family

Abercromby married on 17 January 1935, Eleanor, only daughter of Sir Arthur Robert Anderson. The couple had no children and when Abercromby died in 1964, he was succeeded as baronet by his younger brother Robert.Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 1999. London: Burke, 1999.

Notes

References

External links

Forglen Lodge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercromby, George William 1886 births 1964 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia Lord-Lieutenants of Banffshire People educated at Eton College 20th-century Scottish landowners Scots Guards officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Gordon Highlanders officers British Army personnel of World War I

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

20th-century Scottish businesspeople