Earl of Melfort
Encyclopedia
The titles of Viscount of Melfort and Lord Drummond of Gillestoun were created in the Peerage of Scotland
14 April 1685 for John Drummond, second son of James Drummond, 3rd Earl of Perth, with remainder to the heirs male of his body by his second marriage (to Euphemia Wallace), failing whom to the heirs male of his body whatsoever. He was further created, 12 August 1686, Earl of Melfort, Viscount of Forth and Lord Drummond of Riccartoun, Castlemains and Gilstoun, also in the peerage of Scotland, and with a similar remainder.
A supporter of James II and VII
, he escaped to France on 16 December 1688, following the "Glorious Revolution
" which installed William of Orange
on the English and Scottish thrones. Drummond was further created Baron Cleworth in the Jacobite Peerage
of England by the exiled monarch, on 7 August 1689, and Duke of Melfort, Marquess of Forth, Earl of Isla and Burtisland, Viscount of Rickerton and Lord Castlemains and Galston in the Jacobite Peerage of Scotland 17 April 1692, all with a similar remainder to the 1685 viscountcy.
The 1st Earl and titular 1st Duke of Melfort was outlawed by the de facto régime in Britain on 23 July 1694, and attainted by Act of Parliament on 2 July 1695, when his honours became forfeit. In 1701, after the death of James II and VII, the Duke of Melfort was granted the honours and precedence of a French peer by Louis XIV
. John and his descendants used the title "Duc de Melfort" in France, but this was a French translation of their Jacobite Scottish dukedom and not a French dukedom. The dukedom was never recognised by the British government.
On 2 July 1800 the 4th Duke of Melfort succeeded as heir male of the attainted Earldom of Perth
and titular 9th Duke of Perth, Marquess of Drummond, Earl of Stobhall, Viscount of Cargill and Lord Concraig, on the death of his second cousin once removed, James Drummond, Lord Perth and Baron Drummond of Stobhall (a descendant of the 1st Earl and Duke of Melfort from his first marriage, to Sophie Maitland). In 1841 the 6th Duke of Melfort established his right before the Conseil d'Etat and the Tribunal de la Seine to the French titles of Duc de Melfort, Comte de Lussan and Baron de Valrose (his great-grandfather the 2nd Duke of Melfort had been married in 1707 to Marie Gabrielle d'Audebert, widow of the Duke of Albemarle
and only daughter of Jean d'Audebert, Comte de Lussan). The titular 6th Duke of Melfort proved his descent from the 1st Earl of Melfort in 1848, and by a reversal of his ancestors' attainder on 28 June 1853, became 5th Earl of Perth and Lord Drummond of Stobhall, Earl of Melfort, Viscount of Forth and Lord Drummond of Riccartoun, Castlemains and Gilstoun, Viscount of Melfort and Lord Drummond of Gillestoun and Lord Drummond of Cargill. He died 28 February 1902, when the Melfort titles became dormant or extinct and the Perth titles passed to the Viscount of Strathallan.
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
14 April 1685 for John Drummond, second son of James Drummond, 3rd Earl of Perth, with remainder to the heirs male of his body by his second marriage (to Euphemia Wallace), failing whom to the heirs male of his body whatsoever. He was further created, 12 August 1686, Earl of Melfort, Viscount of Forth and Lord Drummond of Riccartoun, Castlemains and Gilstoun, also in the peerage of Scotland, and with a similar remainder.
A supporter of James II and VII
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, he escaped to France on 16 December 1688, following the "Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
" which installed William of Orange
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
on the English and Scottish thrones. Drummond was further created Baron Cleworth in the Jacobite Peerage
Jacobite peerage
After the deposition by the English parliament in February 1689 of King James II and VII from the thrones of England and Ireland , he and his successors continued to create peers and baronets, which they believed was their right...
of England by the exiled monarch, on 7 August 1689, and Duke of Melfort, Marquess of Forth, Earl of Isla and Burtisland, Viscount of Rickerton and Lord Castlemains and Galston in the Jacobite Peerage of Scotland 17 April 1692, all with a similar remainder to the 1685 viscountcy.
The 1st Earl and titular 1st Duke of Melfort was outlawed by the de facto régime in Britain on 23 July 1694, and attainted by Act of Parliament on 2 July 1695, when his honours became forfeit. In 1701, after the death of James II and VII, the Duke of Melfort was granted the honours and precedence of a French peer by Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. John and his descendants used the title "Duc de Melfort" in France, but this was a French translation of their Jacobite Scottish dukedom and not a French dukedom. The dukedom was never recognised by the British government.
On 2 July 1800 the 4th Duke of Melfort succeeded as heir male of the attainted Earldom of Perth
Earl of Perth
The title Earl of Perth was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1605 for James Drummond, 4th Lord Drummond.The Drummond family claim descent from Maurice, son of George, a younger son of King Andrew I of Hungary...
and titular 9th Duke of Perth, Marquess of Drummond, Earl of Stobhall, Viscount of Cargill and Lord Concraig, on the death of his second cousin once removed, James Drummond, Lord Perth and Baron Drummond of Stobhall (a descendant of the 1st Earl and Duke of Melfort from his first marriage, to Sophie Maitland). In 1841 the 6th Duke of Melfort established his right before the Conseil d'Etat and the Tribunal de la Seine to the French titles of Duc de Melfort, Comte de Lussan and Baron de Valrose (his great-grandfather the 2nd Duke of Melfort had been married in 1707 to Marie Gabrielle d'Audebert, widow of the Duke of Albemarle
Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle
Henry FitzJames , was the illegitimate son of King James II of England and VII of Scotland by Arabella Churchill, sister of the Duke of Marlborough. He was born in St. James's Square, Westminster, Middlesex, England. He was the brother of James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, the French Marshal...
and only daughter of Jean d'Audebert, Comte de Lussan). The titular 6th Duke of Melfort proved his descent from the 1st Earl of Melfort in 1848, and by a reversal of his ancestors' attainder on 28 June 1853, became 5th Earl of Perth and Lord Drummond of Stobhall, Earl of Melfort, Viscount of Forth and Lord Drummond of Riccartoun, Castlemains and Gilstoun, Viscount of Melfort and Lord Drummond of Gillestoun and Lord Drummond of Cargill. He died 28 February 1902, when the Melfort titles became dormant or extinct and the Perth titles passed to the Viscount of Strathallan.
Viscounts (1685), Earls (1686) and titular Dukes (1692) of Melfort
- John Drummond, 1st Duke of Melfort (1650–1715), attainted 1695
- John Drummond, 2nd Duke of Melfort (1682–1754)
- James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Melfort (1708–1766)
- James Louis Drummond, 4th Duke of Melfort (1750–1800)
- Charles Edouard Drummond, 5th Duke of Melfort (1752–1840)
- George Drummond, 5th Earl of Perth (1807–1902), restored 1853