Adam Drummond
Encyclopedia
Adam Drummond 11th of Lennoch and 4th of Megginch in Perthshire
, was a Scottish merchant, banker and Member of Parliament
.
Drummond was the eldest son of John Drummond. He was educated at Leiden University
, and after briefly studying law joined the army in 1739, being commissioned as lieutenant in the 47th Regiment of Foot
in 1741 and promoted to Captain in 1745. In this capacity he served against the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Prestonpans
, where he was captured. He later served in North America, but was put on half-pay
in 1753 and retired from the army in 1756 and set up as a merchant.
On 4 February 1755, Drummond married Catherine Ashe, widow of William Ashe, MP and daughter of the 4th Duke of Bolton
. The Bolton family controlled a number of pocket boroughs, and at the next general election (in 1761)
Drummond entered Parliament as member for Lymington
. Although the Duke of Bolton
went into opposition after the election, Drummond supported the government, and in 1764 was rewarded when in partnership with Sir Samuel Fludyer
he was awarded the lucrative contract for victualling the British troops in North America. Later the same year, Drummond, Fludyer and Anthony Bacon secured a 30-year lease of all the coal on Cape Breton Island
and in 1767 he acquired a large land grant in St John's Island (now Prince Edward Island
). Further profitable contracts followed and, unlike his partner Fludyer, Drummond was able to retain or renew them as governments changed by remaining loyal to whichever administration was in power and helped by the influence of his noble brother-in-law.
Drummond was a partner in the Bank of Ayr, which crashed disastrously in 1772, but his fortune survived. In 1775 Thomas Coutts
took him into partnership, despite misgivings at his having been involved in the Ayr Bank collapse, but eventually had second thoughts and asked him to resign the partnership in 1780.
He died in 1786. His heir was his nephew, John Drummond, who also succeeded him as MP for Shaftesbury
.
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, was a Scottish merchant, banker and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Drummond was the eldest son of John Drummond. He was educated at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
, and after briefly studying law joined the army in 1739, being commissioned as lieutenant in the 47th Regiment of Foot
47th Regiment of Foot
The 47th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. First raised in 1741 in Scotland, the regiment saw service over a period of 140 years, before it was amalgamated with another regiment to become The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881...
in 1741 and promoted to Captain in 1745. In this capacity he served against the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Prestonpans
Battle of Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian...
, where he was captured. He later served in North America, but was put on half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
in 1753 and retired from the army in 1756 and set up as a merchant.
On 4 February 1755, Drummond married Catherine Ashe, widow of William Ashe, MP and daughter of the 4th Duke of Bolton
Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton
Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton PC , known until 1754 as Lord Harry Powlett, was a British nobleman and Whig politician, the second son of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton and Frances Ramsden...
. The Bolton family controlled a number of pocket boroughs, and at the next general election (in 1761)
British general election, 1761
The British general election, 1761 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
Drummond entered Parliament as member for Lymington
Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Lymington was a parliamentary borough in Hampshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-1584-1640:- 1640-1868 :...
. Although the Duke of Bolton
Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Bolton
Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Bolton, KCB, PC , styled Marquess of Winchester from 1754 to 1759, was a British soldier, nobleman and Whig politician. He was the eldest son of Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton and Catherine Parry.Educated at Winchester, he joined the British Army and became a...
went into opposition after the election, Drummond supported the government, and in 1764 was rewarded when in partnership with Sir Samuel Fludyer
Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet
Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet , of Lee Place in Kent, was an English merchant and banker who served as a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London....
he was awarded the lucrative contract for victualling the British troops in North America. Later the same year, Drummond, Fludyer and Anthony Bacon secured a 30-year lease of all the coal on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
and in 1767 he acquired a large land grant in St John's Island (now Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
). Further profitable contracts followed and, unlike his partner Fludyer, Drummond was able to retain or renew them as governments changed by remaining loyal to whichever administration was in power and helped by the influence of his noble brother-in-law.
Drummond was a partner in the Bank of Ayr, which crashed disastrously in 1772, but his fortune survived. In 1775 Thomas Coutts
Thomas Coutts
Thomas Coutts was an Anglo-Scottish banker who was the founder of the banking house of Coutts & Co.He was the fourth son of John Coutts , who carried on business in Edinburgh as a corn factor and negotiator of bills of exchange, and who in 1742 was elected lord provost of the city...
took him into partnership, despite misgivings at his having been involved in the Ayr Bank collapse, but eventually had second thoughts and asked him to resign the partnership in 1780.
He died in 1786. His heir was his nephew, John Drummond, who also succeeded him as MP for Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 until 1832 and one member until the constituency was abolished in 1885....
.