Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton (18 May 172630 October 1796) was a Scottish

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and member of parliament (MP) in the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

. He was also the

Clan Chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

of the

Clan Montgomery Clan Montgomery (also Montgomerie) is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. History Origins of the Clan The Montgomeries emigrated from Wales to Scotland in the 12th century with the FitzAlans. The Cambro-Norman family derives its surname ...

. Montgomerie fought in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, where he served with

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. He also was the patron of the poet

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

Early life

Archibald Montgomerie was born on 18 May 1726 to

Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton Alexander Seton Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton ( 1660 – 18 February 1729) was a Scottish peer, lord of the Eglinton Estate. Early life He was born about 1660, the eldest son of Alexander, 8th Earl of Eglinton and Lady Elizabeth Crichton ...

, and the 9th Earl's third wife, Susanna Kennedy. Montgomerie was one of the 9th Earl's twenty children. Montgomerie was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...

during his teenage years and then went to

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

.Martin p. 144 At age 13, Montgomerie joined the army.Freemason's Magazine p. 23

Military career

After joining the army, Montgomerie received a commission as a

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

in the

Royal Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Scotland that became a regiment of the British Army in 1707 upon the Union of Scotland and England, continuing until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of ...

. He served in this rank from 1739 to 1740. He became Major of the 36th Regiment in 1751,Crawfurd p. 257 and was elected lieutenant-colonel of the regiment on 4 January 1757. At the outbreak of the

, Montgomerie raised the Montgomerie's Highlanders.Lenman p. 66 The regiment traveled to the American Colonies in 1757, and Montgomerie was put under the command of General Amherst.Anderson p. 124 Montgomerie and his regiment, along with

and

Henry Bouquet Henry Bouquet (born Henri Louis Bouquet; 1719 – 2 September 1765) was a Swiss mercenary who rose to prominence in British service during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. He is best known for his victory over a Native America ...

, joined the expedition against

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne ( , ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed ...

in 1758.Freeman p. 133Guthrie pp. 78-79 In 1760, he commanded an expedition against the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

during the

Anglo-Cherokee War The Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761; in the Cherokee language: the ''"war with those in the red coats"'' or ''"War with the English"''), was also known from the Anglo-European perspective as the Cherokee War, the Cherokee Uprising, or the Cherok ...

. Montgomerie's expedition, which included 1,200 men, was ultimately unsuccessful in its mission but succeeded in reaping mass devastation on lower

country. Montgomerie led an assault on the

Lower Towns and had several

villages destroyed, including the major town of

Keowee Keowee () was a Cherokee town in the far northwest corner of present-day South Carolina. It was the principal town of what were called the seven Lower Towns, located along the Keowee River (Colonists referred to the lower reaches of the river as ...

. He was defeated by the Cherokees, in 1760, at the

Battle of Echoee The Battle of Echoee, or Etchoe Pass, was a battle on June 27, 1760 during the French and Indian War, between the British and colonial force under Archibald Montgomerie and a force of Cherokee warriors under Seroweh. It took place near the pres ...

and was forced to retreat back to Fort Prince George, failing in his mission to relieve the siege at Fort Loudoun. 11th Earl of Eglinton

Between 1767 and 1795, Montgomerie was the

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

of the

51st Regiment of Foot The 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry) to form the King's Own Yorkshire L ...

. During his service with the 51st, Montgomerie fought in the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

. He rose through the ranks of the

British Military The British Armed Forces are the unified military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping e ...

and became a major general in 1772.Burke p. 705 He was Deputy Vice-Admiral of Irvine in 1777, within the Port of Irvine from Kelly Bridge to the Troon Point.Irvine p. 161 He subsequently became a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

, in 1777, and in 1793 was commissioned a

Full General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. ...

. From 1795 until 1796, Montgomerie was the

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

of the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons).

Political career and Earldom

Montgomerie stood as a Whig in 1761 and was elected to two seats. He chose to give up

Wigtown Burghs Wigtown Burghs, also known as Wigton Burghs and Wigtown District of Burghs, was a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain, House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of ...

to sit in the seat for

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

, and served in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, 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 ...

from 1761 to 1768.Boswell p. 202 In 1761, Montgomerie became an

Equerry An equerry (; from French language, French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attend ...

for

Queen Charlotte Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The Acts of Un ...

.Holman p. 61Beatson p. 454 He was appointed Governor of Dumbarton Castle in 1764 and Deputy Ranger of St. James's Park and Deputy Ranger of Hyde Park in 1766. On 24 October 1769, Montgomerie's brother,

Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton (10 February 172325 October 1769), was a Scottish peer. Eglinton was the son of The 9th Earl of Eglinton. His mother, who was the third wife of the 9th Earl, was Susanna, Countess of Eglinton, the ...

, was murdered by Mungo Campbell, after a dispute on whether or not Campbell could bear arms on the 10th Earl's property.A dialogue of the dead. p. 27 The 10th Earl died in the early morning hours of 25 October 1769, and Montgomerie inherited the

Earldom Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

. He was Grand Master of the

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

of Mother Kilwinning, from 1771 until 1796. Montgomerie was elected as one of sixteen

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 unicameral Parliament of Scotland, where all Scottish Peers had been entit ...

s in 1776 and was re-elected in 1780, 1784, and 1790. Montgomerie was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle, in 1782, and served as Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire between 1794 and 1796. Montgomerie was also the patron to the poet

; Burns and Montgomerie kept in contact until the latter's death.Burns pp. 240-241 Montgomerie died on 30 October 1796 at

Eglinton Castle Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. History The castle The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, it is located just south of the town of Kilwinning. The original Eglinton Castle w ...

. The Earldom passed to a third cousin,

Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton Colonel Hugh Montgomerie, 12th Earl of Eglinton, KT (5 November 1739 – 14 December 1819), styled Lord Montgomerie from 1769 to 1796, was a British politician, military officer and composer. Early life Montgomerie was born on 5 November 1739. ...

.Chisholm p. 18 However, the majority of Archibald Montgomerie's wealth went to his daughter Mary, whose son eventually became the 13th Earl of Eglinton.Colburn p. 435 There is a portrait of Montgomerie in

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

. It was offered back to the family by King

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

, but the 13th Earl declined. He felt that it was an honour to have a portrait of his grandfather at Windsor Castle.

Personal life

Montgomerie was married twice. He was first married, to Lady Jean (Jane) Lindsay, who was the daughter of

George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford (14 March 1723 – 11 August 1781), ''styled'' Lord Kilbirny and Drumry from 1723 to 1738, then 4th Viscount of Garnock from 1738 to 1749; was a Scottish aristocrat. Early life Lindsay-Crawford was ...

and Jean Hamilton, on 30 March 1772.Debrett p. 416, Peerage of England Jean died in 1778 without issue. On 9 August 1783, Montgomerie married Frances Twysden,Courthope p. 14 the daughter of Sir William Twysden, 6th Baronet and Mary Jervis, as his second wife. They divorced on 6 February 1788 on account on her affair with

Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton Douglas Hamilton, 8th Duke of Hamilton, 5th Duke of Brandon and 2nd Baron Hamilton of Hameldon, (24 July 1756 – 2 August 1799) was a Scottish peer, nobleman, and politician. Life Hamilton was born at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the son of ...

with whom she allegedly had a daughter.Debrett p. 702, Peerage of United Kingdom He and Frances had two children: # Lady Mary Montgomerie (5 March 178712 Jun 1848). Mary was married to Lord Hugh Montgomerie. Their son,

Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, 1st Earl of Winton, KT, PC (29 September 18124 October 1861), styled Lord Montgomerie from 1814 to 1819, was a British Conservative politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1852 and ...

, would eventually succeed to the

. It is through Mary that the lineal and male lines of the

Montgomerie family The Montgomery family or de Montgomerie is a prominent family of Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman origin, belonging to both French nobility, French and British nobility. At the turn of the 12th century, the family was one of the leading families, with ...

would unite, which would return the Earldom of Eglinton to her descendants. After Lord Hugh's death, she married Sir Charles Lamb, 2nd Baronet. # Lady Susanna Montgomerie (26 May 178816 Nov 1805). Susanna died unmarried. Her real father may have been Douglas Hamilton.

Notes

References

* A dialogue of the dead: betwixt Lord Eglinton and Mungo Campbell. To which is added a genuine abstract of the trial of Mungo Campbell. ECCO Print Edition. * Anderson, William
''The Scottish nation: or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, Volume 2''
A. Fullarton & co., 1877 * Beatson, Robert
''A political index to the histories of Great Britain & Ireland, or, a complete register of the hereditary honours, public offices, and persons in office: from the earliest periods to the present time''
Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, 1806 * Boswell, James, Cole, Richard Cargill, Baker, Peter Stuart, McClellan, Rachel
''The General Correspondence of James Boswell, 1766-1769: 1768-1769''
Edinburgh University Press, 1997, * Burke, John
''Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the peerage, baronetage and knightage ...''
Burke's Peerage Limited, 1914 * Burns, Robert
''The complete works of Robert Burns (self-interpreting) Illustrated with sixty etchings and wood cuts, maps and facsimiles''
Gebbie & co., 1886 * * Chisholm, Hugh
''Encyclopaedia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information''
The Encyclopædia Britannica Co., 1910 * Colburn, Henry
''A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire, Volume 42, Part 1''
Henry Colburn, 1880 * Courthope, William
''The Baronetage of England''
J. G. & F. Rivington, 1839 * Crawfurd, George
''A general description of the shire of Renfrew: including an account of the noble and ancient families ... To which is added, a genealogical history of the royal house of Stewart, and of the several noble and illustrious families of that name, from the year 1034 to the year 1710''
J. Neilson, 1818 * Debrett, John
''Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. [Another]''
1839 * Debrett, John
''Debrett's peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2''
1825 * Douglas S. Freeman">Freeman, Douglas Southall
''Washington''
Simon and Schuster, 1995 * Freemason's Magazine
''The Freemasons' quarterly (magazine and) review afterw. The Freemasons' monthly magazine. Continued as The Freemasons' magazine and masonic mirror''
1868 * Guthrie, Arthur
''Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton, together with relative notes and illustrations''
Arthur Guthrie, 1864 * Holman, Louis Arthur, Mills, Charles B.
''Scenes from the life of Benjamin Franklin''
Small, Maynard & company, 1916 * Irvine, Scotland
''Muniments of the Royal Burgh of Irvine: Miscellaneous muniments. Council book of Irvine. Excerpts from burgh accounts''
Ayrshire & Galloway Archaeological Association, 1891. * Lenman, Bruce
''Integration and enlightenment: Scotland 1746-1832''
Edinburgh University Press, 1992, * Martin, George M.
''British Masonic Miscellany, Part 4''
Kessinger Publishing, 2003,

External links

* ''History of Parliament: House of Commons 1754-1790'', by Sir

Lewis Namier Sir Lewis Bernstein Namier (; 27 June 1888 – 19 August 1960) was a British historian of Polish-Jewish background. His best-known works were '' The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III'' (1929), ''England in the Age of the Ame ...

and

James Brooke James Brooke (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajahs, White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was born and ra ...

, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1964 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl Of 1726 births 1796 deaths Nobility from North Ayrshire People educated at Eton College People educated at Winchester College Anglo-Scots British Army generals Clan Montgomery British Army personnel of the French and Indian War 11 Lord-lieutenants of Ayrshire Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies Royal Scots Greys officers Scottish representative peers British MPs 1761–1768