George Lockhart (politician)
Sir George Lockhart | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Wigtown Burghs | |
In office 1708–1708 | |
Preceded by | New constituency |
Succeeded by | William Cochrane |
Commissioner for Edinburghshire | |
In office 12 November 1702 – 25 March 1707 | |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | 1673 |
Died | 17 December 1731 (aged 58) |
Political party | Tory |
Other political affiliations | Squadrone Volante |
Profession | Politician |
Sir George Lockhart of Lee (1673 – 17 December 1731), of
Early life
Lockhart was the son of Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath and his second wife Philadelphia Wharton, daughter of Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton and sister of Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton one of the leaders of the Whig Junta. After his father’s death, Lockhart succeeded to a sizable estate at the age of eight years. His Whiggish guardians removed his tutor, John Gillane, the family’s episcopalian chaplain. His education was placed in the hands of Presbyterian tutors who also tutored John Campbell. Lockhart and Argyll became friends as children, and remained friends into adulthood despite political differences. Campbell became one of Scotland's leading Whigs, while Lockhart came to have a profound dislike of Presbyterianism . By 1695 he had obtained the appointment of episcopalian guardians and had begun to manage his own financial affairs. He developed the estate and exploited the coal reserves to become one of the wealthiest of Scottish commoners, and gathered a major electoral interest in Lanarkshire and Midlothian. He married Lady Euphemia Montgomerie (d. 1738), daughter of a leading Episcopalian peer Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglintoun on 30 April 1697.[1]
The Parliament of Scotland and the Treaty of Union
In 1702, Lockhart became
British parliament and attempt to repeal the Union
After the union Lockhart was not one of the but he decided to seek election to Westminster to serve the Jacobite cause, and to distract the ministry from suspicion about the intended invasion. He gave his interest in Lanarkshire to Lord Archibald Hamilton and was returned as
Death
Argyll's influence was again exerted in Lockhart's behalf, and in 1728 he was permitted to return to Scotland, where he lived in retirement until his death in a duel on 17 December 1731.[3]
Writings
The "Lockhart Papers" are a significant authority for the history of the Jacobites. Lockhart was the author of Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland, dealing with the reign of Queen Anne up to the union with England, first published in 1714. These Memoirs, together with Lockhart's correspondence with the Pretender, and some other papers of minor importance, were published again in the two volumes of Lockhart Letters (1817), edited by Anthony Aufrère.[5][3]
Lockart was the source of intelligence revealing the extensive bribery of Scottish parliamentarians prior to the Treaty of Union, giving rise to the famous Robert Burns line: "bought and sold for English gold". He published a list of bribes paid by the English Treasury.
Family
Lockhart belonged to the Lockharts of Lee, who were active in Scots law and politics during the 17th century. He married Eupheme Montgomerie, daughter of Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton, by whom he had a large family.[3]
He had 2 sons one being Alexander Lockhart, Lord Covington, and the older, more reclusive brother, Henry Lockhart (1690-1787), who had 1 son with his wife Mary Lockhart (1692-1780)
His daughter Grace Lockhart married John Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aboyne.[6]
See also
- Treaty of Union 1707
- List of people killed in duels
References
- ^ a b c "LOCKHART, George (1681-1731), of Carnwath, Lanark., and Dryden, Edinburgh". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Foster, Joseph, ed. (1882), Members of Parliament, Scotland 1357-1882, Hazell, Watson and Viney, retrieved 27 June 2019
- ^ a b c d public domain: McNeill, Ronald John (1911). "Lockhart, George". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 852–853. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- JSTOR 3600841.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^ "Grace Gordon". February 2023.