Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch
Charles William Henry Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch and 6th Duke of Queensberry, KT, styled Earl of Dalkeith until 1812, was a British landowner, amateur cricketer and Tory politician.
Background and education
Styled Earl of Dalkeith from birth, he was born in London, England, the fourth child of seven, and the second son of Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and Lady Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of George Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu. Charles was a direct male-line descendant of Charles II of England through his illegitimate son, James Scott. His elder brother George had died when only two months old after receiving a smallpox inoculation. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.Cricket career
Lord Dalkeith was an amateur cricketer who made four known appearances in important matches in 1797. He was a member of Marylebone Cricket Club.Public life
Dalkeith was returned to Parliament for Marlborough in 1793, a seat he held until 1796, and then represented Ludgershall until 1804, Mitchell between 1805 and 1806 and Marlborough again between 1806 and 1807. The latter year he was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Scott of Tyndale. He was also Lord-Lieutenant of Selkirkshire between 1794 and 1797, of Dumfriesshire between 1797 and 1819 and of Midlothian between 1812 and 1819. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire on 9 May 1803. In 1812 he was made a Knight of the Thistle. He succeeded his father in the dukedom the same year and one of his first acts was to commission what is now the oldest iron bridge in Scotland. Also in 1813 his long-time friend Walter Scott was offered the position of Poet Laureate. Montagu counselled him to retain his literary independence, and the position went to Scott's friend, Robert Southey.Family
A statue of Scott, by Joseph Durham, stands in the centre of Dunchurch, Warwickshire.Buccleuch married the Honourable Harriet Katherine Townshend, daughter of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, on 24 March 1795. They had nine children:
- Lady Anne Elizabeth Montagu Scott.
- George Henry Scott, Lord Scott of Whitchester.
- Lady Charlotte Albinia Montagu Scott, married James Stopford, 4th Earl of Courtown.
- Lady Isabella Mary Montagu Scott, married the Honourable Peregrine Francis Cust.
- Lady Katherine Frances Montagu Scott.
- Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry.
- Lord John Douglas-Montagu-Scott, MP for Roxburghshire; married Alicia Ann Spottiswoode.
- Lady Margaret Harriet Montagu Scott, married Charles Marsham, 3rd Earl of Romney.
- Lady Harriet Janet Sarah Scott, who married the Reverend Edward Moore and was the mother of Admiral Sir Arthur Moore and Henry Moore.