David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss

David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss, was a Scottish peer and Member of Parliament who served as Lord High Admiral of Scotland from 1706 to 1714.

Early life

He succeeded to the Wemyss title on the death of his mother in March 1705. Lord Wemyss entered parliament as a peer on 28 June 1705, and was the same year sworn of the privy council. He was one of the commissioners for the treaty of Union with England. In 1706, he was appointed High Admiral of Scotland, and this office having been abolished at the Union, he was then constituted Vice Admiral of Scotland.
The Earl of Wemyss was one of four non-medicals who was granted an Honorary Fellowship in the first 25 years of the Royal College of Physician's life.

In his 41 years Earl Wemyss married three times. The first was on 13 August 1697, to Lady Anne Douglas, the only daughter of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. Together, they had two sons and one daughter:

The Hon. David Wemyss, Lord Elcho
The Hon. James Wemyss, who became 5th Earl of Wemyss, who married Janet Charteris, heiress of Col. Francis Charteris
Lady Williamina Wemyss, who moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania and married Judge William Moore of "Moore Hall"

His second marriage was on 5 January 1709, at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London to Mary Robinson, daughter of Sir John Robinson. They had one daughter:

His third marriage as in July 1716, to Elizabeth St. Clair, the daughter of Henry, Lord Sinclair. Together, they had one daughter:

The Earl of Wemyss died on 15 March 1720.