Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 5.djvu/291

MELFORT. 289 MELFORT. Viscountcy [S ] f. The lion. John Drtjmmond, 2d s. of James, 3d I 1GS5. Earl of Perth [S.], by Anue, 1st da. of George (Gordon), 2d Marquess ok Huntlv [S.], was 4. about 1650 ; was Capt. of the Earldom [S.] Scotch Foot Guards, 1673 ; Master of the Ordnance, 16S0 ; Sec. t 1( ™ of State [S.j, 1684, and was cr. 14 April ll>85,(») VISCOUNT 1. lu«u. 0F MELK0KT and L0KD DUUMMOND OF GILLESTOITN [8.], with a spec. rem. to the heirs male of his body by his second( b ) marriage, failing whom, to heirs male of his body whatsoever( c ) ; being, also, cr. on 12 Aug. 1GSG. EARL OF MELFOUT, VISCOUNT OF FORTH, LORD DRUM- MOND OF 1UCCARTOUN CASTLEMAINS AND GILSTOUN [S.], with a like spec, rem. He was K.T., 6 June 1687, being one of the eight orig. knights of that order,( d ) as also was his br. the Earl of Perth [8.1 iudeed the " two brothers ruled Scotland" during the three years of the reign of James II. On the landing of the Priuce of Orange he escaped to France, 16 Dec. 1 OSS, whence he accompanied King James to Ireland in 1689; was sent by him on an embassy to Rome aud was, by him (after his dethronement) made K.G. in 1692, aud cr. 17 April 1694, DUKE OF MELFORT, MARQUESS OF FORTH, EARL OF ISLA AND BURNTIZLAND VISCOUNT OF RIOKERTON, LORD CASTLEMAINS AND GALSTON [S.], with the like spec. rem. as in the previous creations. (°) He was outlawed 23 July 1694, and attainted by act of Pari., 2 July 1695, whereby all his honours became forfeited. After the death of James II. in 1701, he was recognised as a French Peer by Louis XIV. as DUC DE MELFORT, holding the same spec. rem. of that dignity an afsd. He m. firstly, 30 Sep. 1670, Sophia da. aud eventually h. of line of Robert Maitland, of Luiidin, co. Fife (yr. s. of John, 1st Earl ok Lauderdale [Si]) by Margaret, da. and h. of John Lundin, of Lundin afsd. By her he had male issue whose right of succession to his peerage dignities was postponed to that of their brethren of the half blood. He >n. secondly before 1632, Eupheuiia, da. of Sir Thomas Wallacb, of Ciaigie, a Lord of Session (1671-80), by Eupheuiia, da. and h. of William Gemmii.l, of Templelands, co. Ayr. He d. 25 Jan. 1714/5,( r ) after a long illness, and was bur. at St. Sulpice, Paris. His widow who was " a great beauty in her time "(e) and who was latterly "supported by keeping one of the two faro tables authorised by Louis XIV/'C') </. in 1743, at St. Germains, aged 90. (*■) This was one of the six hereditary Scotch Peerages cr. by James II., for a list of which see vol. Hi, p. 208, note "a," sub " Dundee." ('») His children by his lirst wife, who bore the name of Lundin, having inherited their mother's estate of Lundin, were protestauts. James Lundin (afterwards Drummond) of Lundin, 6. 1707, became, 7 Feb. 1760, the representature of the Earls of Perth, and styled himself accordingly Earl of Perth, notwithstanding the attainder of that dignity. His only surv. a. and h., obtained in 1785 possession of the Perth estates aud was cr. a Peer [G.B.] as Lord Perth in 1797. He d. s.p.m. 2 July 1800 when the issue male, by the first wife, of the 1st Earl of Melfort became extinct. ( c ) The creation of the Dukedom of Somerset in 1547 was a similar ease, i.e. one in which the children of the existing wife were preferred to that of the previous one. See vol. i, p. 187, note " d," sub " Athole." (°) See " Riddell," pp. 903, 965, as to this particular creation, aud see vol. i. (of this work), p. 59, uote "d," sub "Albemarle" as to the "Jacobite creations" in general. ( r ) Macky, in his " Characters " [1705 ?] says of him, when past 50," he is very ambitious, hath abundance of lively sense, will stick at nothing to gain his end ; a well-bred gentleman ; understands the belles lettrcs, is very proud, cannot bear a rival in business, nor is he much to be trusted himself, but where his ambition can be fed. He is tall, black, stoops in the shoulders, thin. He states also that "being very handsome and a fine dancer " he had obtained the favour of the Duchess of York (afterwards Queen Cousort), and became afterwards " one of the chief favourites of the Court." (e) Nat. Biogr. (.<■) Wood's "Douglas." U