Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry, KG, PC, FRS, FRSE (25 November 1806 – 16 April 1884), styled The Honourable Charles Montagu-Scott between 1806 and 1808, Lord Eskdail between 1808 and 1812 and Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a Scottish politician and nobleman. He was Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1842 to 1846.
His Grace The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry KG PC FRS FRSE | |
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Lord President of the Council | |
In office 21 January 1846 – 6 July 1846 | |
Prime Minister | Sir Robert Peel, Bt |
Preceded by | The Lord Wharncliffe |
Succeeded by | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal | |
In office 2 February 1842 – 21 January 1846 | |
Prime Minister | Sir Robert Peel, Bt |
Preceded by | The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Haddington |
Personal details | |
Born | 25 November 1806 Palace of Dalkeith |
Died | 16 April 1884 (aged 77) Bowhill, Selkirkshire |
Nationality | Scottish |
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | Lady Charlotte Thynne |
Children |
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Parents |
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Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
Buccleuch was born at Dalkeith House, Midlothian, Scotland, the fifth child of seven, and second son of Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch, and the Honourable Harriet Katherine Townshend, daughter of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney and Elizabeth Powys. When his older brother, George Henry, died at the age of 10 from measles, Walter became heir apparent to the Dukedoms of Buccleuch and Queensberry. He was only thirteen when he succeeded his father to the Dukedoms of Buccleuch and Queensberry in 1819.[1] He was educated at Eton and St John's College, Cambridge (M.A., 1827).[2] In June 1833 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.[3] In 1841, he played in two first-class cricket matches for Marylebone Cricket Club.[4]
A great Scottish land magnate, Buccleuch was a Conservative in politics, and was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1835 and a Privy Counsellor in 1842. He served as Lord Privy Seal from 1842 to 1846 and as Lord President of the Council from January to July 1846 in Peel's government, when he reluctantly supported Peel's decision to repeal the Corn Laws. After Peel's fall, the Duke's political career largely came to an end. In 1878 he became Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, a post he held until his death in 1884.
On 6 January 1842 he was appointed Colonel of the Edinburgh Militia (a regiment that his grandfather the 3rd Duke had raised in 1798). He was appointed an Aide-de-Camp to the Queen for the militia on 19 March 1857. On resigning from the command on 20 May 1879 he was appointed the first Honorary Colonel of the Queen's Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia, as the regiment had by then become.[5]
He joined the Canterbury Association on 20 May 1848. It was planned to build a town called Buccleuch in his honour near Alford Forest, but this did not eventuate.[6]
Buccleuch married Lady Charlotte Anne Thynne, daughter of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath and Isabella Elizabeth Byng, on 13 August 1829 at St George's church, Hanover Square, London. The couple had four sons and three daughters:
King George IV spent some days in 1822 as the Duke's guest at Dalkeith Palace, the first visit of a reigning Hanoverian monarch to Scotland. Twenty years later, Queen Victoria also honoured him with a visit. The family continued to hold a high profile in royal circles, being invited to the Coronations of William IV and Victoria, with the Duke acting as Gold Stick.
The story goes that in 1879 the Historical Manuscripts Commission discovered an old black box amongst the Duke of Buccleuch's papers at Dalkeith, which was found to contain a contract proving Charles II had married Lucy Walter. In fact, the document meant the Duke was the rightful King of England. When he was shown the deed, he threw it on the fire, remarking, “that might cause a lot of trouble“.
Buccleuch died in Bowhill, Selkirkshire, in April 1884, aged 77, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William. He was buried in the family crypt of the Buccleuch Memorial Chapel in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Dalkeith, Midlothian. The church is located on Dalkeith's High Street, at the entrance to Dalkeith Country Park.[7]
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Political offices | ||
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Preceded by The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos |
Lord Privy Seal 1842–1846 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Haddington |
Preceded by The Lord Wharncliffe |
Lord President of the Council 1846 |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Lansdowne |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by The Earl of Morton |
Lord Lieutenant of Midlothian 1828–1884 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Rosebery |
Preceded by The Marquess of Lothian |
Lord Lieutenant of Roxburghshire 1841–1884 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Roxburghe |
Academic offices | ||
Preceded by Sir William Stirling-Maxwell |
Chancellor of the University of Glasgow 1878–1884 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Stair |
Peerage of Scotland | ||
Preceded by | Duke of Buccleuch 2nd creation 1819–1884 |
Succeeded by William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott |
Duke of Queensberry 1819–1884 | ||
Professional and academic associations | ||
Preceded by Creation |
President of the Surtees Society 1834–37 |
Succeeded by Edward Maltby |
Professional and academic associations | ||
Preceded by The Duke of Northumberland |
President of the Surtees Society 1865–84 |
Succeeded by William Stubbs |
General | |
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National libraries | |
Art research institutes | |
Biographical dictionaries | |
Other |
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