Grand Masters of Scotland - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic ...

passed on him to the day of his execution—the earl himself says: The true root of all was his careless and dissolute life, by which he
had reduced himself to great and perplexing difficulties. The persuasions of his wife, who was captivated by the affability of the
young Pretender, no doubt influenced him in deserting the Hanoverian cause; but the hope of bettering his straitened fortunes by a
change of dynasty must also be taken into account. His estates were much encumbered when he succeeded to them, and a long
course of dissipation and extravagance had plunged him into such embarrassment that his wife writes to him: After plaguing the
stewart for a fortnight I have only succeeded in obtaining three shillings from him.
When he finally joined the rebels he was received by Prince Charles with great marks of distinction and esteem, and was made
by him a privy councillor, colonel of the guards, and subsequently general. He took a leading part in the battle of Falkirk, 17 Jan.
1746. At the battle of Culloden he was taken prisoner in consequence of a mistake he made in supposing a troop of English to be a
body of FitzJames's horse. In his speech at the trial he pleaded as an extenuating circumstance that his surrender was voluntary,
but afterwards admitted the truth, and requested Mr. Foster to publish his confession. On 29 May he, together with the Earl of
Cromarty and Lord Balmerino, was lodged in the Tower. They were subsequently tried before the House of Lords, and convicted of
high treason, notwithstanding an eloquent speech from Lord Kilmarnock. The court was presided over by Lord Hardwicke as lord
high steward, and his conduct on this occasion seems to have been strangely wanting in judicial impartiality. Walpole, in a letter to
Sir Horace Mann commenting on this, says: To the prisoners he was peevish, and instead of keeping up to the humane dignity of
the law of England, whose character it is to point out favour to the criminal, he crossed them and almost scoffed at any offer they
made towards defence.
The sentence on Lord Cromarty was afterwards remitted, but no such grace was accorded to Lord Kilmarnock, principally on
account of the erroneous belief held by the Duke of Cumberland that it was he who was responsible for the order that no quarter
was to be given to the English at Culloden.
On 18 Aug. 1746 he was executed on Tower Hill in company with Lord Balmerino. He is described as being tall and slender, with
an extreme fine person, and his behaviour at the execution was held to be a most just mixture between dignity and submission.
His lands were confiscated, but subsequently restored to his eldest son, and sold by him to the Earl of Glencairn. The title was
merged in 1758 in that of Errol.
Sources:
Paterson's History of Ayr, 1847
IKay's History of Kilmarnock, 1864
Doran's London in the Jacobite Times, 1871
Moore's Compleat Account of the Lives of the two Rebel Lords, 1746
Ford's Life of William Boyd, Earl of Kilmarnock, 1746
Foster's Account of the Behaviour of William Boyd, Earl of Kilmarnock, 1746
Observations and Remarks on the two Accounts lately published by J. Ford and J. Foster, 1746
Gent. Mag. xvi.
Scots Mag. viii.
Howell's State Trials, xviii.
Contributor: N. G. [Newcomen Groves]
Published: 1885
8. James, 5th Earl of Wemyss 1743-44
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wemyss%2C_5th_Earl_of_Wemyss
James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss (30 August 1699–21 March 1756) was the son of David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss.
On 17 September 1720, he married Janet Charteris and they had four children:
David Wemyss, 6th Earl of Wemyss (1721–1787)
Francis Charteris, 7th Earl of Wemyss (1723–1808) [see below, 12th Grand Master of Scotland]
James Wemyss (1726–1786)
Frances Wemyss (d. 1789)
http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/15742
Weymess Castle [above]
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