BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
No. CCXIV,
THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF EGLINTON,
WHEN MAJOR OF LORD FREDERICK CAMPBELL’S REGIMENT OF FENCIBLES.
185
HUGHM ONTWMERIEtw, elfth Earl of Eglinton, was the eldest son of Alexander
Montgomerie of Coilsfield.’ He was born about the year 1740, and
entered the army so early as 1755, as an ensign in Lieutenant-General Skelton’s
Regiment of Foot. He served in America during the greater part of the
Seven Years’ War, where he acquired the reputatioh of a brave soldier, and was
fourteen years Captain of a company of the First or Royal Regiment of Foot.’
At the breaking out of hostilities with France, in 1778, he was appointed
Major in Lord Frederick Campbell’s Regiment of Fencibles? which was raised
in the counties of Argyle, Bute, Dumbarton, Renfrew, Lanark, and Ayr, and
of which Lord Frederick was Colonel.
In 1780, at the general election, the Major was chosen Member of Parliament
for the county of Ayr, in opposition to Sir Adam Fergusson of IGlkerran,
1 A branch of the house of Eglinton, descended from Alexander, the sixth Earl, better known by
the expressive appellation of Graysteel. He was of the Seton family (one of the most ancient and
widely connected in Scotland), but in consequence of his mother Mafgaret being the heiress of line
of the Montgomeries, Earl Hugh (whom he succeeded) executed an entail in his favour ; and, having
taken the name of Montgomerie, he was (through the influence of hi8 uncle, the Earl of Dunfermline,
who was Lord Chancellor, and of Lord Binning, afterwards Earl of Melrose and Haddington), allowed
the earldom by James the First. In the civil wars he supported the popular party, but was greatly
opposed to the execution of Charles the First, He died 7th January 1661, aged seventy-three.
The subject of this menioir was descended from Colonel James Montgomerie, fourth son of Earl
Alexander.
9 His lordship told mauy interesting anecdotes of the American campaign-among others, the
following of Sir Ralph Ahercromby. That celebrated commander was leading an assault, at which
his lordship was present, upon an American fort, when, as they approached, the enemy suddenly
opened a tremendous fire on the assailants, who, for a moment were confounded, and stood still.
Sir Ralph marched on unmoved ; but not hearing the tramp of the column behind, he turned round
as the smoke of the stunning volley was clearing away, aud pointing to the fort with his sword,
exclaimed-“ What ! am I to take the place myself?” The response was a hearty cheer, and a
furious rush updn the enemy, by which the fort was carried.
At the same onset the gallant commander was followed by a tall captain and a short lieutenant,
both of the name of M‘Donald. The former waa unfortunately shot in the breast ; and he reeled
back upon the latter to measure himself with the earth, and finish his career of glory. The brave
lieutenant, who had not observed the fatal cause of this retrograde movement, and fearing the
courage of his clansman had given way, seized him by the coat, and in a half whisper cried in his
em-“ Remember your name is M‘Donald.”
This regiment was raised under the joint influence of the Argyle and Eglinton families, the
latter having the nomination of officers for two companies-of one of which the last Earl of Glencairn
(on whose death Burns wrote the “ Bard‘s Lament ”) was appointed Captain.
126 BI 0 GRAPH I CA L S KET C HE S.
who had sat in the former Parliament.’ He was again returned for the
same county in 1784, but “vacated his seat in 1789, by accephg the office
of Inspector of Military Roads ; the duties of which he performed for some
years with assiduity, travelling on foot over extensive tracts of rugged ground
in the Highlands, for the purpose of ascertaining the proper courses for the
roads, to the great advantage of the public, by rendering the lines shorter, and
avoiding the expense of several bridges deemed necessary under the former
plans.”
On the declaration of war by the French Convention against Great Britain
and Holland, in 1793, seven regiments of Fencibles were ordered to be raised in
Scotland for the internal defence of the country. One of these, the West Lowland
Fencibles, being under the immediate patronage of the Eglinton and Coilsfield
families, Major Montgomerie was appointed Colonel, Glasgow was fixed
as the head-quarters of this regiment. The Colonel lost no time in beating up
for recruits throughout the west country, and especially in Ayrshire, where he
was eminently successful. At the village of Tarbolton alone, in the immediate
neighbourhood of his paternal seat of Coilsfield, a company of volunteers were
soon congregated ; and the circumstance of their departure for head-quarters is
still remembered as a day of note in the annals of the village.8 In the morning
On this occasion an expedient was resorted to by the candidates, in order to prevent their friends
among the freeholders, who might have troublesome creditors, from being laid hold of at the critical
moment of election. The advertisement, which appeared in the newspapers of the day, ia as
follows :-“In order to prevent vexations diligences being used against individuals in the shire of
Ayr, by attacking the electors of either party, at the eve of the Michaelmas Head Court, or upon
the day of election, in hopes of that critical period to recover payment, Sir Adam Fergusson and
Major Montgomerie, the two candidates, hare agreed that, in the event of any of the friends of
either party being attacked, a real voter present, in the interest of the opposite party, shall retire
out of Court ; which renders it vain for any person to think they shall have a better chance of recovering
payment, by using rash means, at this particular time.”
a Douglas’s Peerage, by Wood.
Among others who “followed to the field” was an eccentric personage of the name of Tait.
He was a tailor, and in stature somewhat beneath the military standard ; but he was a poet, and
zealous in the cause of loyalty, He had sung the deeds of the Montgomeries in many a couplet ;
and, having animated the villagers with his loyal strains, resolsed, like a second Tyrtsus, to
encourage his companions at arms to victory by the fire and vigour of his verses. It is said he
could not write, nevertheless he actually published a small volume of poems. These have long ago
sunk into oblivion. He was a bachelor ; and,
like a true son of genius, occupied an attic of very small dimensions. At the “June fair,” when
the village waa crowded, Saunders, by a tolerated infringement of the excise laws, annually converted
hi8 “ poet’s corner” into a temple for the worship of Bacchus, and became publican in a small way.
He was himself the presiding genius, and his apartment was always well frequented, especially by
the younger portion of the country people, who were amused with his oddities. He sang with
peculiar animation ; and failed not to give due recitative effect to the more lengthy productions of
his muse :-it might he in celebration of a honspiel, in which the curlers of Tarbolton had been
victorious over those of the parish of Stair-of a love-match-or such other local matter calculated
to interest his rustic hearers ; by whom his poems were highly applauded 89 being “unco wee1 put
thegither.” One in particular, on In.
Alexander of Ballochmyle, ww much talked of, probably from the circumstance of the lady having
condeacended to patronise the village laureate, by requesting his attendance at Ballochmyle, where
he recited the piece-was rewarded-and afterwards continued to be a privileged frequenter of the
hall. He was, no
Still I ‘ Sawney Tait the tailor ” is well remembered.
Some of his songs obtained a temporary popularity.
Poor Smmders, unluckily, waa more in repute for his songs than his needle.
