STRATHMORE, earl of, a title in the peerage of Scotland, conferred on 1st July 1677, on Patrick, the third earl of Kinghorn, of the noble family of Lyon. He obtained the Strathmore title with the extension of the remainder to any person nominated by himself, or in default of this, to his heirs and assigns whatsoever. The title is taken from Strathmore, or the great valley, that is, the noble and far-stretching band of low country which skirts the frontier mountain-rampart of the Highlands, and the titles of the family are earl of Strathmore and Kinghorn, Viscount Lyon, Baron Glammis, Tannadice, Sidlaw, and Stradichtie. For an account of the Lords Glammis and the first three earls of Kinghorn, see LYON, Lord Glammis. Attached to the exiled Stuart dynasty, Patrick, first earl of Strathmore and third earl of Kinghorn, retired from public life at the Revolution, and spent the remainder of his days in improving his estates, and under the direction of the celebrated architect Inigo Jones, in repairing and modernizing his castle of Glammis in Forfarshire, as also in improving his seat of Castle-Huntly in Perthshire, the name of which he changed to Castle-Lyon. He was a great encourager of the arts, especially statuary, and in and about the castle of Glammis there used to be, for long after his death, a vast number of statues and sculptured ornaments, the greater part of which were done by his orders. He died 15th May 1695. He had married 23d August 1662, Lady Helen Middleton, second daughter of John, earl of Middleton, then King Charles the Second’s high commissioner for Scotland, the ceremony being performed at Holyrood-house by Archbishop Sharp. They had, with two daughters, two sons, 1. John, second earl of Strathmore and fourth of Kinghorn, who was of Queen Anne’s privy council, and opposed the treaty of union. 2. The Hon. Patrick Lyon of Auchterhouse, who engaged in the rebellion of 1715, and was killed at the battle of Sheriffmuir, 13th November that year.

John, second earl of Strathmore and fourth of Kinghorn, died 10th May 1712. By his countess, Lady Elizabeth Stanhope, daughter of the second earl of Chesterfield, he had, with two daughters, six sons, the two eldest of whom, Patrick and Philip, both Lords Glammis, died young, unmarried, and the other four were earls of Strathmore in succession. In the Dundee Magazine for January 1800, the following traditionary story is related: “An old man being in company with the earl, who had his four sons with him, his lordship, in conversation, said, ‘Are not these four pretty boys?’ To which the old man replied, ‘Yes, but they will be all earls, my lord, all earls.’ The earl said, he would be sorry if he were sure that such would be the case. The old man again affirmed that it would be so, and added, ‘God help the poor when Thomas comes to be earl.’ This was literally accomplished in the year 1740, when scarcity and dearth threatened famine in the land.”

John, third earl of Strathmore and fifth of Kinghorn, the eldest of the “four pretty boys,” engaged in the rebellion of 1715. In attempting to cross the firth of Forth, with the forces under Brigadier Macintosh, from the east coast of Fife to East Lothian, on the night of the 12th October that year, they were pursued, when about half-way across the channel, by the boats of the English men-of-war in Leith roads, and about two hundred of the rebels had to take refuge in the Isle of May. Among them was Lord Strathmore, and after remaining there a day or two, his lordship with these regained the Fife coast, and returned to the camp at Perth, about the 21st October. He was killed at the battle of Sheriffmuir, 13th November following, unmarried. His next brother, Charles, fourth earl of Strathmore and sixth earl of Kinghorn, died 11th May 1728, of an accidental wound received two days before, in a scuffle betwixt James Carnegie of Finhaven and John Lyon of Brighton. On the 9th he had gone to Forfar, to attend the funeral of a young lady, and afterwards went to a tavern, with the two gentlemen named and others. In the evening his lordship and Mr. Carnegie paid a visit to Lady Auchterhouse, a sister of the latter. Mr. Lyon followed them and behaved rudely both to the lady and her brother. Lord Strathmore thereupon left the house, and, in the street, some words passed between Mr. Lyon and Mr. Carnegie, who was pushed into a kennel, two feet deep, from which a servant of the earl helped to extricate him. Mr. Carnegie immediately drew his sword. Mr. Lyon ran towards Lord Strathmore, whose back was to him, and endeavoured to draw his lordship’s sword. Mr. Carnegie pursued him in a staggering state, and, on coming up, made a pass at him, and the earl turning hastily round and pushing Lyon off, received the weapon through his body. Mr. Carnegie was brought to trial for the murder of the earl, before the high court of justiciary at Edinburgh 2d August 1726, but acquitted, through the superior ability and firmness of his counsel, Robert Dundas of Arniston. His lordship married in 1725, Lady Susan Cochrane, the second of the three beautiful daughters of the fourth earl of Dundonald, but had no issue by her. She married, secondly, 2d April 1745, Mr. George Forbes, her factor, and master of the horse to the Chevalier de St. George, and had to him a daughter. Lady Strathmore became a Roman Catholic, and died at Paris 24th June 1754. James, fifth earl of Strathmore and seventh earl of Kinghorn, a captain in the army, married the Hon. James Oliphant, and died, without issue, 14th January 1735. The youngest of the brothers, Thomas, previous to succeeding to the family titles, was chosen M.P. for Forfarshire, at the general election of 1734. On the abolition of the heritable jurisdictions in 1747, he obtained for the constabulary of Forfar £600. He died 18th January 1753. By his countess, Jane, daughter and heiress of James Nicholson, Esq. of West Rainton, county Durham, he had, with four daughters, three sons. 1. John, seventh earl of Strathmore and tenth earl of Kinghorn. 2. Hon. James Philip Lyon, in the service of the East India Company, one of the unfortunate sufferers who fell victims to the rage of Cassim Ally Cawn in Bengal, in February 1763, in his 25th year. 3. Hon. Thomas Lyon of Hetton, county of Durham, M.P. for the Aberdeen burghs from 1768 to 1780, died in 1796, aged 55.

The eldest son, John, seventh earl of Strathmore, born in 1737, completed his education by foreign travel, in the course of which he visited Spain and Portugal. He married, February 25, 1766, Mary Eleanor, only child and heiress of George Bowes of Streatham Castle and Gibside, county of Durham, the than richest heiress in Europe, her fortune being £1,040,000, with vast additions on her mother’s death, and immense estates on t he demise of her uncle. The same year, his lordship obtained an act of parliament to enable him and his countess to take and use the name of Bowes only. He was elected one of the sixteen Scots representative peers 1st October 1767, again in 1768 and in 1774, and died at sea, on his passage to Lisbon for the recovery of his health, 7th March 1776, in his 39th year. The countess, on 17th January 1777, took for her second husband Andrew Robinson Stoney of Coldpighill, county Durham, afterwards M.P. for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Refusing to comply with his wishes in regard to her estates, she was forcibly carried off by him and other armed men, November 10th, 1786. She was brought up to the king’s bench by writ of habeas corpus, and released, and her husband was committed to prison. The lady recovered her estates, which she had assigned to her husband under the influence of terror, in May 1788. She died 28th April 1800, in her 52d year, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, attired in a superb bridal dress. A monument, with a suitable inscription, is there erected to her memory. The earl had 4 sons and 2 daughters.

John, the eldest son, eighth earl of Strathmore, born April 14, 1769, captain 65th foot in 1789, and a representative Scots peer, was created a peer of the United Kingdom, July 18, 1815, as Baron Bowes of Streatham Castle. He married, July 2, 1820, Mary, daughter of J. Milner, Esq. of Staindrop, county Durham, but died the following day, July 3, when his English barony expired. His countess married, in 1831, William Hutt, Esq., M.P., and died May 5, 1860.

The earl was succeeded by his brother, Thomas, 9th earl of Strathmore. Born May 3, 1773, he died Aug. 27, 1846.

His grandson, Thomas George, son of George, Lord Glammis, who died in 1834, leaving 2 sons and 2 daughters, succeeded as 10th earl of Strathmore, and 12th earl of Kinghorn. Born in 1822, he was appointed a lieutenant 1st life-guards in 1844, but retired in 1846. A representative Scots peer; married in 1850, Hon. Charlotte Maria, eldest daughter of Viscount Barrington. She died at the age of 28, Nov. 3. 1854, without issue. The earl’s brother, Hon. Claude Lyon Bowes, lieutenant 2d life-guards, born in 1824, married in 1853, Frances Dora, daughter of Oswald Smith, Esq. of Blendon, with issue.

The Queen Mother

Book of Record
A Diary written by Patrick, First Earl of Strathmore (pdf)