Lord Elphinstone is a title in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland (; ) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union 1707, Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the ...

created by

King James IV 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 Sauch ...

in 1510.

History

The title of Lord Elphinstone was granted by

in 1510 to Sir Alexander Elphinstone of Elphinstone, who was killed at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...

three years later. He was succeeded by his son, the second Lord, killed at the

Battle of Pinkie Cleugh The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk, Lothian, River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the U ...

in 1547. His grandson, the fourth Lord, served as

Lord High Treasurer of Scotland The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre- Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland. Lord Treasurer The full title of the post was ''Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation'', ...

. His great-great-great-great-grandson, the eleventh Lord, sat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

as a

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 ...

from 1778 to 1794. He was succeeded by his son, the twelfth Lord, who was 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 normall ...

in the Army, a Scottish Representative Peer from 1803 to 1807 and

Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire. Before the twentieth century, the county was spelled Dumbartonshire. *John Elphinstone, 11th Lord Elphinstone (17 March 1794 – 19 August 1799) *John Elphinstone, ...

. His son, the thirteenth Lord, served as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1833 to 1834 and from 1847 to 1849, and he was also

Governor of Bombay Until the 18th century, Bombay consisted of seven islands separated by shallow sea. These seven islands were part of a larger archipelago in the Arabian sea, off the western coast of India. The date of city's founding is unclear—historians tr ...

and of

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

. In 1859, he was created Baron Elphinstone, of Elphinstone in the County of Stirling, in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great B ...

. However, this title became extinct on his death in 1860 while he was succeeded in the lordship by his first cousin, the fourteenth Lord. He was the son of Admiral the Hon.

Charles Elphinstone Fleeming Charles Elphinstone Fleeming (18 June 1774 – 30 October 1840) was a British admiral of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He commanded a succession of smaller vessels during the early years of t ...

, second son of the eleventh Lord. When he died the following year, this line of the family also failed and he was succeeded by his second cousin, the fifteenth Lord. He was the grandson of the Hon. William Elphinstone, third son of the tenth Lord. Lord Elphinstone sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1867 to 1885 and served as a

Lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

(government whip in the House of Lords) in the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

administrations of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

and

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...

. In 1885, he was created Baron Elphinstone, of Elphinstone in the County of Haddington, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Lords Elphinstone sat in the House of Lords in right of this title until the passing of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given royal assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

removed the automatic right of

hereditary peer The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of April 2025, there are 800 hereditary peers: 30 dukes (including six royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 189 earls, 108 viscounts, and 439 barons (not counting subsidiary ...

s to sit in the upper chamber of Parliament. He was succeeded by his son, the sixteenth Lord, who in 1910 married Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, second daughter of

Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne Claude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, (14 March 1855 – 7 November 1944), styled as Lord Glamis from 1865 to 1904, was a British peer and landowner who was the father of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and ...

, and elder sister of

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

, wife of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and mother of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. He was succeeded by his son, the seventeenth Lord, who was taken

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

on 12 June 1940. Between 1944 and 1945, he was one of the 'Prominente' prisoners at

Colditz Castle Colditz Castle (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance architecture, Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the States of Germany, state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns o ...

(

Oflag IV-C Oflag IV-C, generally known as Colditz Castle, was a prominent German Army prisoner-of-war camp for captured Allied officers during World War II. Located in Colditz, Saxony, the camp operated within the medieval Colditz Castle, which overlooks th ...

). On his death in 1975, the titles passed to his nephew, the eighteenth Lord. , the titles are held by the latter's son, the nineteenth Lord, who succeeded in 1994 at the age of fourteen. He is Chief of

Clan Elphinstone Clan Elphinstone is a Lowland Scottish clan.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pa ...

. Lord Elphinstone is a third cousin of

the Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. Other members of the Elphinstone family include

James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Balmerino James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Balmerino (1553?-1612) was a Scottish nobleman and politician, disgraced in 1609. Life to 1605 He was the third son of Robert Elphinstone, 3rd Lord Elphinstone, by Margaret, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Innerpe ...

, younger son of the third Lord Elphinstone. Lord Balmerino's younger son was

James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Coupar The title of Lord Balmerino (or Balmerinoch) was a title in the Peerage of Scotland; it was created in 1606 and forfeited in 1746 on the attainder and execution of the 6th Lord Balmerino in the Tower of London. The title of Lord Coupar or Cupar ...

. Another member was

George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith Admiral George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith (7 January 1746 – 10 March 1823) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Career Early service George Elphinstone was the fourth ...

, who was the fifth son of the tenth Lord Elphinstone. Lord Keith's daughter

Margaret Keith, 2nd Baroness Keith Margaret de Flahaut, Comtesse de Flahaut, 2nd Baroness Keith and 7th Lady Nairne (born Hon. Margaret Mercer Elphinstone; 12 June 1788 – 11 November 1867), was a Scottish society hostess. Biography Margaret, was born in Mayfair on 12 Ju ...

(who had succeeded to the two baronies of Keith held by her father according to special remainders in the letters patent), inherited the Lordship of Nairne in 1837, a title which is now held by the

Viscount Mersey Viscount Mersey, of Toxteth in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for the lawyer and politician John Bigham, 1st Baron Mersey. He had already been created Baron Mersey, of ...

. The family seat is Whitberry House near

Tyninghame Tyninghame is a small settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, about two miles north-east of East Linton. Together with the nearby settlement of Whitekirk, it gives its name to the parish of Whitekirk and Tyninghame. Tyninghame Tyninghame is a ...

East Lothian East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In ...

Lords Elphinstone (1510); Barons Elphinstone (1885)

Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone (died 9 September 1513) was a Scottish Peerage, peer. He was the son of Sir John Elphinstone of that ilk and of Pittendreich. Courtier and administrator He was first known as "Alexander Elphinstone of ...

(d. 1513) *

Alexander Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Elphinstone Alexander Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Elphinstone (1511-1547) was a Scottish landowner. Alexander Elphinstone was the son of Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone, and Elizabeth Barlow, an English gentlewoman in the household of Margaret Tudor. ...

(1510–1547) *

Robert Elphinstone, 3rd Lord Elphinstone Robert Elphinstone, 3rd Lord Elphinstone (1530-1602) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. Robert Elphinstone was the son of Alexander Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Elphinstone and Katherine Erskine, daughter of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and his ...

(1530–1602) *

Alexander Elphinstone, 4th Lord Elphinstone Alexander Elphinstone, 4th Lord Elphinstone (1552-1638), was a Scottish courtier, landowner, and Lord Treasurer. Alexander Elphinstone was the son of Robert Elphinstone, 3rd Lord Elphinstone (1530-1602) and Margaret Drummond, daughter of Sir Jo ...

(1552–1638) * Alexander Elphinstone, 5th Lord Elphinstone (1577–1648) * Alexander Elphinstone, 6th Lord Elphinstone (1620–1654) * Alexander Elphinstone, 7th Lord Elphinstone (1647–1669) * John Elphinstone, 8th Lord Elphinstone (1649–1718) * Charles Elphinstone, 9th Lord Elphinstone (1676–1757) * Charles Elphinstone, 10th Lord Elphinstone (1711–1781) * John Elphinstone, 11th Lord Elphinstone (1737–1794) * John Elphinstone, 12th Lord Elphinstone (1764–1813) *

John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone, 1st Baron Elphinstone, (23 June 1807 – 19 July 1860) was a Scottish soldier, politician and colonial administrator. He was twice elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom as a List of Scottish repr ...

(1807–1860) * John Elphinstone, 14th Lord Elphinstone (1819–1861) * William Buller Fullerton Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone, 1st Baron Elphinstone (1828–1893) * Sidney Herbert Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone, 2nd Baron Elphinstone (1869–1955) * John Alexander Elphinstone, 17th Lord Elphinstone, 3rd Baron Elphinstone (1914–1975) * James Alexander Elphinstone, 18th Lord Elphinstone, 4th Baron Elphinstone (1953–1994) * Alexander Mountstuart Elphinstone, 19th Lord Elphinstone, 5th Baron Elphinstone (b. 1980)

Arms

References

Attribution

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elphinstone Lordships of Parliament Lists of Scottish people People associated with Stirling (council area) People associated with East Lothian Noble titles created in 1510

History

Lords Elphinstone (1510); Barons Elphinstone (1885)

Arms

See also

References

Attribution