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

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

and

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 ...

(MP) in the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...

. 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 c ...

of the Clan Montgomery. Montgomerie fought in 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 (175 ...

, where he served with

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

. He also was the patron of the poet

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

Early life

Archibald Montgomerie was born on 18 May 1726 to

Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

, and the 9th Earl's third wife, Susanna Kennedy.The Peerage #21228 Montgomerie was one of the 9th Earl's twenty children. Montgomerie was educated at Eton during his teenage years and then went to

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

.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 in the Scots Greys. 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 Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

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 fought 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 American ...

at the expedition against

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort French colonization of the Americas, established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny River, Allegheny and Monongahela River, Monongahela rivers. It was lat ...

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

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

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 successful in its mission. Montgomerie had several

villages destroyed, including Estatoe. He defeated 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, 11th Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie and a force of Cherokee warrior ...

Between 1767 and 1795, Montgomerie was the

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge o ...

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 ...

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

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...

. He rose through the ranks of the British Military and became a

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

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 three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

, 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 forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

. From 1795 until 1796, Montgomerie was the

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 to sit in the seat for Ayrshire, and served in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the 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 parliament. T ...

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

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

.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. Jean (Jane) Eglinton, Countess of Eglinton

Jean (Jane) Eglinton, Countess of Eglinton

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. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particula ...

. He was Grand Master of the

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

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

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) was a Scottish peer, politician, soldier and composer. Biography Montgomerie was styled Lord Montgomerie from 1769. He sat as a Member of Parliament ...

.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 royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

. 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 and Lady 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, has 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 would unite, which would return the Earldom of Eglinton to her descendants. # 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.html" ;"title="nother]''">''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 Ameri ...

and

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (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 Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was b ...

, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1964 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl Of 1726 births 1796 deaths 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