Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto

The Right Honourable
The Earl of Minto
PC
by James Atkinson
Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William
In office
31 July 1807  4 October 1813
Monarch George III
Preceded by Sir George Barlow, Bt
As Acting Governor-General
Succeeded by The Earl of Moira
Personal details
Born 23 April 1751
Edinburgh
Died 21 June 1814 (aged 63)
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Nationality British
Spouse(s) Anna Maria Amyand (d. 1829)
Alma mater University of Edinburgh
Christ Church, Oxford

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto PC (23 April 1751 – 21 June 1814), known as Sir Gilbert Elliott between 1777 and 1797 and as The Lord Minto between 1797 and 1813, was a Scottish politician diplomat. He was viceroy of the short-lived Anglo-Corsican Kingdom from 1793 to 1796 and went on to become Governor-General of India between 1807 and 1813.

Background and education

Minto was born in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, and Agnes, daughter of Hugh Dalrymple-Murray-Kynynmound.[1] He was the nephew of John Elliott, Governor of Newfoundland, Andrew Elliot 41st Colonial Governor of New York, and of Jean Elliot the poet.

Hugh Elliot was his younger brother and Sir Charles Elliot his nephew. About 1763 Elliot and his brother Hugh were sent to Paris, where their studies were supervised by the Scottish philosopher David Hume, and where they became intimate with Honoré Mirabeau. Having passed the winters of 1766 and 1767 at the University of Edinburgh, Minto entered Christ Church, Oxford, and on quitting the university he was called to the Bar.

Career

In 1776 Minto entered parliament as an independent Whig MP for Morpeth. He became very friendly with Edmund Burke, whom he helped in the attack on Warren Hastings and Sir Elijah Impey, and on two occasions was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Speaker. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1793 and in 1794 he was appointed as viceroy of the short-lived Anglo-Corsican Kingdom. In 1797 he assumed the additional names of Murray-Kynynmound and was created Baron Minto, of Minto in the County of Roxburgh. From 1799 to 1801 he was Envoy-Extraordinary to Austria, and having been for a few months President of the Board of Control he was appointed Governor-General of India at the end of 1806. The district of Minto in New South Wales, Australia, was named after him in 1809. In 1810 he successfully requested the release of the British navigator, Matthew Flinders, from his six-year imprisonment on Isle of France (Mauritius). He governed until 1813, during which he expanded the British presence in the area to the Moluccas, Java, and other Dutch possessions in the East Indies during the Napoleonic Wars. He was then created Viscount Melgund, of Melgund in the County of Forfar, and Earl of Minto, of Minto in the County of Roxburgh.

Family

Lord Minto married Anna Maria, daughter of Sir George Amyand, 1st Baronet, in 1777.[2] Their second son was the naval commander Admiral the Hon. Sir George Elliot while their third son the Hon. John Elliot was a politician. Lord Minto died at Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on 21 June 1814, aged 63, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.[3] He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, Gilbert. Lady Minto died in March 1829.

References

  1. Lundy, Darryl. "p. 2854 § 28536". The Peerage.
  2. Lundy, Darryl. "p. 2854 § 28536". The Peerage.
  3. "Gilbert and Hugh Elliot". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
Attribution

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1885–1900 Dictionary of National Biography's article about Elliot, Gilbert (1751-1814).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto.
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Peter Delmé
William Byron
Member of Parliament for Morpeth
1776–1777
With: Peter Delme
Succeeded by
Peter Delmé
John Egerton
Preceded by
Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bt
Member of Parliament for Roxburghshire
1777–1784
Succeeded by
Sir George Douglas
Preceded by
John Vaughan
John Delaval
Member of Parliament for Berwick
1786–1790
With: John Vaughan
Succeeded by
John Vaughan
Charles Carpenter
Preceded by
Roger Wilbraham
James Bland Burges
Member of Parliament for Helston
1790–1795
With: Stephen Lushington
Succeeded by
Stephen Lushington
Charles Abbot
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Sir Morton Eden
British Minister to Austria
1799–1801
Succeeded by
Arthur Paget
Government offices
New office Viceroy of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom
1793–1796
British withdrawal
Preceded by
Viscount Castlereagh
President of the Board of Control
1806
Succeeded by
Thomas Grenville
Preceded by
Sir George Barlow, Bt (acting)
Governor-General of India
1807–1813
Succeeded by
The Earl of Moira
Preceded by
Jan Willem Janssens
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
1811
Succeeded by
Stamford Raffles
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Earl of Minto
1813–1814
Succeeded by
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by
Gilbert Elliot
Baronet
(of Minto)
1777–1814
Succeeded by
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound