truly noble gentleman, and chief of an ancient family; one who equalled his father and grandfather, Napiers—philosophers and mathematicians famous through all the world—in other things, but far excelled them in his dexterity in civil business’ (Wishart, Memoirs of Montrose).
By his wife, Lady Margaret Graham, second daughter of John, fourth earl of Montrose, and sister of James, first marquis of Montrose, Napier had two sons—John, died young; and Archibald, second baron Napier [q. v.]—and two daughters: Margaret, married to Sir George Stirling of Keir; and Lilias, who died unmarried. Both daughters, on account of their devotion to Montrose and the king, were subjected to imprisonment and other hardships, and ultimately took refuge in Holland.
Napier was the author of ‘A True Relation of the Unjust Pursuit against the Lord Napier, written by himself, containing an account of some court intrigues in which he was the sufferer,’ which, under the title of ‘Memoirs of Archibald, first Lord Napier, written by himself,’ was published at Edinburgh in 1793. In Mark Napier's ‘Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston’ (1834, p. 299) there is an engraving by R. Bell of a portrait of Napier by Jameson; and this is reproduced in the same writer's ‘Memoirs of Montrose’ (i. 108).
[Bishop Guthrie's Memoirs; Gordon's Scots Affairs and Spalding's Memorialls of the Trubles, both in the Spalding Club; Robert Baillie's Letters and Journals in the Bannatyne Club; Sir James Balfour's Annals; Wishart's Memoirs of Montrose; Napier's Memoirs of Montrose; Lord Napier's own Memoirs; Brunton and Haig's Senators of the College of Justice; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 292–4.]
NAPIER, ARCHIBALD, second Lord Napier (d. 1658), tenth of Merchiston, was the second son of Archibald, first baron Napier [q. v.], by Lady Margaret Graham. Some time before he had attained his majority he was ordered, along with his father, in October 1644 to confine himself within apartments in Holyrood Palace; but, notwithstanding the heavy penalty that his father might incur, he left his confinement, and on 21 April 1645 joined Montrose at the fords of Cardross. He specially distinguished himself at the battle of Auldearn on 9 May; and at the battle of Alford on 2 July he commanded the reserve, which was concealed behind a hill, and on being ordered up at an opportune moment by Montrose completed the rout of the covenanters. After Montrose's victory at Kilsyth on 15 Aug. he was despatched with the cavalry to take Edinburgh under his protection, and set free the royalist prisoners (Guthry, Memoirs, p. 196); and on the way thither he also released his father and other relatives from Linlithgow prison. Along with his father and Montrose he escaped from Philiphaugh on 13 Sept. and found refuge in Atholl. On the death of his father in the following November he succeeded to the title. In February 1646 he left Montrose to go to the relief of his tenants in Menteith and the Lennox, and passing thence into Strathearn, garrisoned the castle of Montrose at Kincardine with fifty men. The castle was invested by General Middleton, but, although it was assaulted by cannon, the defenders held out for fourteen days, when the failure of their water-supply compelled them to capitulate. On 16 March terms were arranged. Before the castle was given up Napier and his cousin, the laird of Balloch, left during the night by a postern gate and escaped on horseback to Montrose.
After Montrose disbanded his forces, Napier, who was included in the capitulation, went to the continent. Before leaving Scotland he on 28 July 1646 wrote a letter to Charles from Cluny, in which he said: ‘Now, since it is free for your majesty's servants in this kingdom to live at home or repair abroad at their pleasure, I have taken the boldness before my departure humbly to show your majesty the passionate desire I have to do you service’ (Hist. MSS. Comm. 11th Rep. App. pt. vi. p. 113; and printed also in Napier, Montrose, p. 645). On 18 Nov. he was served heir to his father in his properties in the counties of Dumbarton, Edinburgh, Perth, and Stirling, and on 10 May 1647 he was infeft in the barony of Edenbellie. Previous to his departure to the continent he granted a commission to John, lord Erskine, and Elizabeth, lady Napier, his wife, and others, to manage his estates.
Notwithstanding a deliverance of the committee of the estates, 23 Oct. 1646, against Lord Napier conversing with Montrose, he joined him in Paris, where, according to himself, the common report was ‘that Montrose and his nephew were like the pope and the church, who would be inseparable’ (Letter to his wife from Brussels, 4 June 1648, in Napier, Montrose, p. 666). According to Scot of Scotstarvet, Napier was ‘robbed of all his money on his way towards Paris’ (Staggering State, ed. 1872, p. 67). When Montrose left Paris to travel through Switzerland and Germany, Napier proceeded to Brussels, where Montrose afterwards joined him. So desirous was he to be near Montrose and aid him in any possible schemes in behalf of the royal cause that he declined the offer of a regiment from the king of
