Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart

Lieutenant-General Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, KT (21 March 1721 – 14 August 1776) was a British Army officer and diplomat. He was also chief of the Clan Cathcart.

The Right Honourable The Lord Cathcart KT
Lord Cathcart by Joshua Reynolds (1753–55) Manchester Art Gallery
Ambassador from Great Britain to Russia
In office February 1768 – 1772
Preceded by	George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney
Succeeded by	Sir Robert Gunning, 1st Baronet
Personal details
Born	21 March 1721
Died	14 August 1776 (aged 55)
Citizenship	British
Nationality	Scottish
Spouse	Jane Hamilton
Occupation	Diplomat, soldier
Nickname	Patch Cathcart
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Branch/service	British Army
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession Battle of Fontenoy Jacobite Rising of 1745 Battle of Culloden

Biography

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 (1753–55) 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.

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.^[1] Through his mother he also inherited Schawpark near Sauchie at Gartmorn. The house dated from 1700. A small group of cottages on the estate were involved in the "manufacture of osnaburgs when visited by Bishop Richard Pococke in 1760.^[2]

In 1763 he was created a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.

In August 1768 he arrived as the ambassador at St Petersburg and was he was well received by Catherine the Great. He served, poorly, at the Russian court until 1772.^[3] On his return to Britain he was elected Rector of Glasgow University in 1773.

In 1775 he commissioned Robert Adam to remodel Schawpark, but he did not live to see completion of the works.^[4]

He died on 14 August 1776.

Personal life and children

Bust of his daughter Mary.

On 24 July 1753 he married Jean Hamilton (1722–1771), daughter of Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton and Lady Jane Hamilton.^[5] They had nine children:

1. Jane (20 May 1754 – 5 December 1790),^[6] the first wife of John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl, he was her second cousin once removed through the Hamilton.
2. William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart (17 September 1755 – 16 June 1843)
3. Mary Cathcart (1 March 1757 – 26 June 1792), a celebrated beauty, who married Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch^[7]
4. Louisa (1 June 1758 – 11 July 1843), married first, David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield (1727–1796); married second, The Hon. Robert Fulke Greville
5. Charles (28 December 1759 – 10 June 1788)
6. John (23 April 1761 – 00 January 1762)
7. Archibald (25 July 1764 – 10 October 1841)
8. [a son] (7 June 1768; stillborn)
9. Catherine Charlotte (8 July 1770 – 20 October 1794), died unmarried

   

   Thomas Gainsborough - The Honourable Mrs Graham (1757 - 1792), 1777.

Ranks

He held the following ranks:^[8]

• Captain, 1742
• Colonel, 1750
• Major-General, 1758
• Lieutenant-General, 1760