William Elliot of Wells
Encyclopedia
William Elliot of Wells was an army
officer
, courtier
, and Member of Parliament
during the reign of George II
.
The son of William Elliot of Wells (know to posterity as the "Laceman", from the trade in gold-embroidered lace from which he made his fortune), the younger William was christened 17 January 1696 at St Martin-in-the-Fields
, Westminster
. Around 1720, he stood as legal guardian to an elder sister's infant son, Granville Elliott
, the son of Charlotte Elliot and the recently-deceased Roger Elliott
. He entered the army in 1722 as a cornet
in the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards
, and in the following year joined Charles Churchill's Regiment of Dragoons
as a captain
. While serving under Col. Churchill, Elliot witnessed the will of Churchill's mistress, the celebrated actress Anne Oldfield
, and was one of the pallbearer
s at her funeral in 1730.
Elliot inherited his father's estate of Wells, in Roxburghshire
, in 1728.
In 1737, Elliot was commissioned as major
of the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards
, of which he was made lieutenant-colonel in 1741. He fought at both Dettingen
and Fontenoy
, but resigned his commission in 1746. His eldest sister's son, George Augustus Eliott
(later Lord Heathfield
, defender of Gibraltar
), was one of his subordinate officers in the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards.
In 1741, Elliot was elected as a Whig
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Calne
, Wiltshire
(which seat he held until 1754). Subsequently, in 1743, he was made one of the equerries
to George II
, and served until the king’s death in 1760.
and Lady Henrietta Butler, daughter of the Earl of Ossory
, at St Benet Paul's Wharf
, London
, on 4 June 1737, with one son:
In 1758, Lady Frances would have inherited the Scottish
title lordship of Dingwall
upon the death of her uncle the Earl of Arran
, had this title not been forfeited
as a consequence of the 1715 attainder
of her uncle the Duke of Ormonde
following his involvement in the Jacobite risings
of that year.
William Elliot died in 1764 and was buried in St James's Church, Piccadilly
, Westminster
. Lady Frances Elliot died on 5 April 1772, and was buried with her late husband.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, 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,...
during the reign of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
The son of William Elliot of Wells (know to posterity as the "Laceman", from the trade in gold-embroidered lace from which he made his fortune), the younger William was christened 17 January 1696 at St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. Around 1720, he stood as legal guardian to an elder sister's infant son, Granville Elliott
Granville Elliott
Major-General Granville Elliott , was a British military officer. He served with distinction in several other European armies and subsequently in the British Army...
, the son of Charlotte Elliot and the recently-deceased Roger Elliott
Roger Elliott
Major General Roger Elliott was one of the earliest British Governors of Gibraltar. His nephew George Augustus Eliott also became a noted Governor and defender of Gibraltar....
. He entered the army in 1722 as a cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
in the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
, and in the following year joined Charles Churchill's Regiment of Dragoons
10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
The 10th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1715 to 1969.-Early history:In response to the Jacobite Rebellion, the regiment was raised in 1715 as Humphrey Gore's Regiment of Dragoons...
as a captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. While serving under Col. Churchill, Elliot witnessed the will of Churchill's mistress, the celebrated actress Anne Oldfield
Anne Oldfield
Anne Oldfield , English actress, was born in London, the daughter of a soldier.She worked for a time as apprentice to a seamstress, until she attracted George Farquhar's attention by reciting some lines from a play in his hearing...
, and was one of the pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
s at her funeral in 1730.
Elliot inherited his father's estate of Wells, in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, in 1728.
In 1737, Elliot was commissioned as major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
of the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards
Horse Grenadier Guards
The Horse Grenadier Guards were a series of cavalry troops in the British Household Cavalry between 1687 and 1788, who used grenades and other explosives in battle. Originally attached to the Horse Guards, they became independent for a century before being disbanded...
, of which he was made lieutenant-colonel in 1741. He fought at both Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
and Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
, but resigned his commission in 1746. His eldest sister's son, George Augustus Eliott
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield
George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield, KB was a British Army officer who took served in three major wars during the eighteenth century. He rose to distinction during the Seven Years War when he fought in Germany and participated in the British attacks on Belle Île and Cuba...
(later Lord Heathfield
Baron Heathfield
Lord Heathfield, Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1787 for General Sir George Augustus Eliott in in recognition of his defence of Gibraltar during the Franco-Spanish Siege of 1779 to 1783. He was the tenth but eighth surviving son of Sir...
, defender of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
), was one of his subordinate officers in the 2nd Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards.
In 1741, Elliot was elected as a Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
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,...
(MP) for Calne
Calne (UK Parliament constituency)
Calne was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(which seat he held until 1754). Subsequently, in 1743, he was made one of the equerries
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, and served until the king’s death in 1760.
Family
Elliot married – against her father's wishes – Lady Frances de Nassau d’Auverquerque, elder daughter of the Earl of GranthamHenry Nassau d'Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham
Henry de Nassau, Lord d'Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham PC , was a British peer and courtier, a member of the House of Orange-Nassau and second cousin once removed to King William III of England...
and Lady Henrietta Butler, daughter of the Earl of Ossory
Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory
Vice-Admiral Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory, KG, PC, PC was the eldest son of the James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde and Lady Elizabeth Preston, and an Irish politician born at Kilkenny Castle.-Life and career:...
, at St Benet Paul's Wharf
St Benet Paul's Wharf
The Church of St Benet Paul's Wharf is the Welsh church of the City of London. Since 1555, it has also been the church of the College of Arms, and many officers of arms are buried there. The current church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 4 June 1737, with one son:
- Henry Elliot, who died young.
In 1758, Lady Frances would have inherited the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
title lordship of Dingwall
Lord Dingwall
Lord Dingwall is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1609 for Sir Richard Preston, with remainder to his heirs whatsoever. In 1619 he was further honoured when he was made Baron Dunmore and Earl of Desmond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to heirs male...
upon the death of her uncle the Earl of Arran
Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran
Lieutenant-General Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran , de jure 3rd Duke of Ormonde was an Irish peer. His uncle Richard was the 1st Earl of Arran of the first creation. The titles were re-created for Charles in 1693. He was younger son of the 6th Earl of Ossory and Emilia von Nassau...
, had this title not been forfeited
Forfeiture (law)
Forfeiture is deprivation or destruction of a right in consequence of the non-performance of some obligation or condition. It can be accidental, and therefore is distinguished from waiver; see waiver and forfeiture....
as a consequence of the 1715 attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
of her uncle the Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde KG KT was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the third of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom of Ormonde...
following his involvement in the Jacobite risings
Jacobite uprising in Cornwall of 1715
The Jacobite uprising in Cornwall of 1715 was the last uprising against the British Crown to take place in the county of Cornwall.-Background information to the event:...
of that year.
William Elliot died in 1764 and was buried in St James's Church, Piccadilly
St James's Church, Piccadilly
St James’s Church, Piccadilly is an Anglican church on Piccadilly in the centre of London, UK. It was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren....
, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. Lady Frances Elliot died on 5 April 1772, and was buried with her late husband.