General Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart (21 March 1721 – 14 August 1776) was a British soldier and diplomat. He was also chief of the Clan Cathcart.
The son of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart and Marion Shaw, he was born on 21 March 1721. Opposed to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, he became an aide-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland and during the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745, was shot in the face. Joshua Reynolds' portrait (1753-5) shows the black silk patch he used to cover the scar on his cheek. This seemingly earned him the soubriquet 'Patch Cathcart'. The following year at the Battle of Culloden again acting as ADC to Cumberland Cathcart was once more wounded in battle.
On 24 July 1753 he married Jane Hamilton (1722 - 1771), daughter of Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton and Lady Jane Hamilton.
They had seven children:
Charles was the last Lord Cathcart to inherit the family estate of Sundrum. Upon inheriting his mother's estates in Greenock he sold Sundrum to James Murray of Broughton in 1758.
In 1763 he was created a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.
In February 1768 he was appointed ambassador at St Petersburg and was well received by Catherine the Great. He served at the Russian court until 1772. On his return to Britain he was elected Rector of Glasgow University in 1773.
He died on 14 August 1776.
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir George Macartney |
Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Russia 1768–1772 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Gunning |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by Lord Frederick Campbell |
Rector of the University of Glasgow 1773–1775 |
Succeeded by Sir James Montgomery |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by Charles Cathcart |
Lord Cathcart 1740–1776 |
Succeeded by William Cathcart |