James Duff, 4th Earl Fife

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KT, GCH
Born1776
Died1857 (aged 80–81)
NationalityBritish
OccupationMilitary officer
Spouse
Mary Caroline Manners
​
​
(m. 1799; died 1805)​
Parents

James Duff, 4th Earl Fife,

KT, GCH
(6 October 1776 – 9 March 1857), was a Scottish nobleman who became a Spanish general.

Biography

James was the elder son of the Hon. Alexander Duff, who succeeded his brother as third Earl Fife in 1809. He was educated at Edinburgh and was not intended for the army.[1]

On 9 September 1799 he married

John Manners and Louisa Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart), who died on 20 December 1805 without children. Thereupon Duff sought distraction in 1808 by volunteering to join the Spaniards in their war against Napoleon. His assistance was gladly received, especially as he came full of enthusiasm and with a full purse, and he was made a major-general in the Spanish service.[1]

He served with great distinction at the

lord in waiting in the following year.[1]

He was created

knight of the Thistle. He soon afterwards retired altogether to Scotland, where he lived at Duff House, Banffshire, much beloved by his tenantry and greatly interested in farming and cattle raising; he died there, aged 80, on 9 March 1857.[1]

His influence was instrumental in the passage of

José de San Martin
(a Spanish captain at this time) to South America in 1812, who would liberate Argentina, Chile and Perú from Spanish rule. In 1824, the General José de San Martin (today the national hero of Argentina and Perú) visited him at Duff House (see external link below).

He was succeeded by his nephew, James Duff, the elder son of James Duff's only brother, General the Hon. Sir Alexander Duff, who commanded the 88th regiment, the Connaught Rangers, from 1798 to 1810. [2]

Duff founded the burgh of Dufftown, named after him, in 1817.[3] The town was established to help develop the Earl's estate and provide both housing and employment for soldiers returning home from the Napoleonic War.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Stephens 1888, p. 129.
  2. ^ Stephens 1888, p. 1130.
  3. ISBN 9780199609086
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0004113104
    .

References

Attribution

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Banffshire
1818 – 1827 		Succeeded by
Masonic offices
Preceded by
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland

1814–1816 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
In Commission
 Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire
1813–1856 		Succeeded by
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Earl Fife
1811–1857 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Fife
2nd creation
1827–1857 		Extinct
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