George (Lockhart) Lockhart Ist of Carnwath (abt. 1630 - 1689)

Born about 1630 in Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Barbara Gilmour — married 21 Apr 1663 in Liberton, Edinburghshire, Scotland

Husband of Philadelphia (Wharton) Lockhart — married after 2 Sep 1679 in London, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 31 Mar 1689 at about age 59 in Edinburgh, Edinburghshire, Scotland

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Biography

George (Lockhart) Lockhart Ist of Carnwath is Notable.

George (Lockhart) Lockhart Ist of Carnwath is a member of Clan Lockhart.

George (Lockhart) Lockhart Ist of Carnwath was born in Scotland.

Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath (c. 1630 – 1689) was a Scottish advocate, judge and commissioner to parliament.

Life

The second son of Sir James Lockhart of Lee, laird of Lee, he was admitted as an advocate in 1656. He was knighted in 1663, and was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Advocates in 1672. He was celebrated for his persuasive eloquence. In 1674, when he was disbarred for alleged disrespect to the Court of Session in advising an appeal to parliament, fifty barristers showed their sympathy for him by withdrawing from practice. Lockhart was readmitted in 1676, and became the leading advocate in political trials, in which he usually appeared for the defence.

He was a Commissioner to the Scottish Parliament for Lanarkshire in 1681/82 and 1685/86. He was appointed Lord President of the Court of Session in 1685, and a Privy Counsellor and a commissioner of the Exchequer in 1686. Lockhart purchased the extensive estates of the Earls of Carnwath in Lanarkshire, which were inherited by his eldest son, George Lockhart of Lee (1673–1731), whose mother was Philadelphia, daughter of Lord Wharton.

Lockhart was murdered in Edinburgh returning from church on 31 March 1689, by John Chiesley of Dalry, the father of Lady Grange. Chiesley had been unhappily married to Margaret Nicholson, mother of their ten children. Margaret took her husband to court for aliment. She was awarded 1,700 merks by Sir George. Furious with the decision, Mr. Chiesley shot Lockhart dead on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh as he walked home from church on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1689.[1]:p23–24 The assailant made no attempt to escape and confessed at his trial, held before the Lord Provost the next day. Two days later he was taken from the Tolbooth to the Mercat Cross on the High Street. His right hand was cut off before he was hanged, and the pistol he had used for the murder was placed round his neck.[1]:p29–30

Lockhart is buried in the distinctive domed mausoleum of Sir George Mackenzie on the south side of Greyfriars Kirkyard.[2]

Children of Sir George Lockhart and Barbara Gilmour:

1. Barbara

Children of Sir George Lockhart and Philadelphia Wharton:

1. Philip, d. 1715
2. George, 2nd of Carnwath. b. 1673, d. 17 Dec 1731

Sources

• "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY9D-93V : 11 February 2020), George Lockhart, 1663.

See also:

• Wikipedia: George Lockhart, Lord Carnwath

• Wikidata: Item Q5541789, en:Wikipedia

• National Biography: George Lockhart

• The Peerage: George Lockhart

• Margaret Macauley, The Prisoner of St Kilda: The true story of the unfortunate Lady Grange. Edinburgh: Luath, 2009. ISBN 978-1-906817-02-2)

• Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland: The Caledonian Society of Scotland.