James Lockhart (Scottish aristocrat)
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James Lockhart | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1727 Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Died | 1790 |
| Occupation | Professional soldier |
| Relatives | George Lockhart (paternal grandfather) |
James Lockhart of Lee and Carnwath, Count Lockhart-Wishart (Wischeart) of the Holy Roman Empire (1727 – 6 February 1790) was a Scottish aristocrat with a successful military career.[1][2]
Early years
James Lockhart was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, the second son of a prominent Jacobite family, the Lockharts of Carnwath. His grandfather, George Lockhart, was the Scottish agent of James Francis Edward Stuart, the 'Old Pretender', and the author of the posthumously published 'Lockhart Papers'.[3][4] These documents, including letters and George Lockhart's journal, comprise probably the most important primary source of information on the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Lockhart's elder brother, also named George, was the personal aide-de-camp to
We were scarcely a musket-shot from the shore, when the captain pointed out to me one of the
midshipmen in the boat, of the name of Lockhart, asking me if I knew his family in Scotland. I answered in the negative, telling him that I had never been in any other service than that of Mrs. Gray. I was uneasy lest Mr. Lockhart should have recognized me for, as I had been a schoolfellow of his elder brother and frequently in the house of his father, Mr. Lockhart of Carnwath, he might very possibly have known me. He was about eighteen years of age and had been four years in the navy. His eldest brother, the heir to a considerable estate, had been foolish enough, like so many others, to join the standard of Prince Charles.
The events described take place in
What immediately followed is not known in detail. Lockhart traveled Europe enlisting in various armies and learning the military arts. Towards the end of the war of the
Lockhart fought, often brilliantly, in a series of battles against the
Return to Scotland
In 1761 Lockhart resigned his commission and returned to Scotland to deal with problems of succession in the family. His father was ailing, and the Lockhart estates were entailed upon his brother George, still living in exile in Paris. George, however, was attainted with treason for his role in the '45, and the family estates would therefore revert to the Crown upon the death of their father, the elder George Lockhart.
Staging the death of the younger George Lockhart in Paris solved the problem. At his "funeral" a casket full of stones served as his mortal remains. As a result of this successful stratagem, the Lockhart estates at Carnwath in Lanarkshire thereafter passed to James Lockhart upon the death of his father.
Military service and honours
The
In his later years Lockhart served on the staff of the
Aside from documentary evidence of Lockhart's service in the Austrian Netherlands, a pair of silver
The official portrait of Sir James was taken to Sydney Australia where it has resided with his descendants for the last 20 years.
The Lee Penny
Count Lockhart has a connection with Scottish literature and
The Lee Penny is owned by the present heir of the Lockharts, and is currently housed in a gold and enamel snuffbox presented to Count Lockhart by the Empress Maria Theresa.
Bibliography
- Brown, Kevin (2017) Artist and Patrons: Court Art and Revolution in Brussels at the end of the Ancien Régime, Dutch Crossing, Taylor and Francis.
- Macdonald Lockhart, Simon (1977) Seven Centuries: The History of the Lockharts of Lee and Carnwath, SFM Lockhart, ISBN 0-9505711-0-5
- Szechi, Daniel (2002) George Lockhart of Carnwath 1689 -1727, A Study in Jacobitism, Tuckwell Press Ltd, ISBN 1-86232-132-9
- Johnstone, C.L (1878) The Historical Families of Dunfriesshire and the Border Wars. online Available from http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dumfries/index.htm
- Johnstone, Chevalier de (1958) (Edited with an Introduction by Brian Rawson) A Memoir of the 'Forty-Five, Folio Society, London
See also
References
- ^ Grant, James (1889). Scottish Soldiers of Fortune: Their Adventures and Achievements in the Armies of Europe. London: G. Routledge. p. 94.
- ^ Johnston, C.L. (1889). The Historical Families of Dunfriesshire and the Border Wars. Dumfries, Edinburgh and Glasgow: Anderson and son, John Menzies and Co. p. 184.
- ^ Lockhart, George (1817). The Lockhart Papers. Vol. 1. Piccadilly, London: William Anderson.
- ^ Lockhart, George (1817). The Lockhart Papers. Vol. 2. Piccadilly, London: William Anderson.
External links
- Electric Scotland, see Chapter XI, http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dumfries/index.htm