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

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GEORGE, eighth Marquis of Tweeddale, was born in 1787. He received his early education at the parochial school of Gifford, where
he distinguished himself more by his physical strength and prowess than by his intellectual attainments. He entered the army in
1804, the year in which he succeeded to the family titles and estates, when he was only seventeen years of age. He had the good
fortune to receive his first training as a soldier under the gallant Sir John Moore, at Shorncliffe. Two years later he went out to Sicily
as aide-de-camp to the general commanding the English army in that island. There, having got his company, he exchanged into the
Grenadier Guards, only, however, to re-exchange into a regiment on active service. He served through the Peninsular war as aidede-camp
to the Duke of Wellington, was honourably mentioned in the Duke’s despatches for his personal bravery, was wounded at
Busaco, and a second time at Vittoria, where he acted as quartermaster-general, and received a medal for his services in that
decisive engagement. He was the third man in the army to cross the Douro, and attack the French forces under Soult at Oporto—
one of the most famous exploits of the Great Duke.
Shortly after being gazetted as a major, when he was in his twenty-seventh year, the Marquis was invalided, and returned home.
But impatient of enforced inactivity, before his health was completely restored he rejoined his regiment, which was at that time
stationed in Canada. On reaching it, at the Falls of Niagara he found the drums beating, calling the men to go into action, and
though he was labouring under a fit of ague he joined the regiment in the encounter, but was once more, almost at the outset,
severely wounded. In two months, however, he was again on foot, and obtained the command of a brigade, which he retained till the
close of the war, in 1814. Lord Tweeddale’s distinguished services were rewarded by steady and well-merited promotion. He
attained the rank of general in 1854, was nominated colonel of the 2nd Life Guards in 1863, and ten years after was created a field
marshal. On the termination of the war with France the Marquis took up his residence on his paternal estate, married in 1816 Lady
Susan Montagu, third daughter of the fifth Duke of Manchester, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire in 1824, and set
himself with characteristic energy and zeal to discharge the duties of that office, and to improve his estates.
In 1842 he was appointed Governor of Madras and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces—a union of offices unprecedented at that
period, but carried out by the Duke of Wellington from a conviction that Lord Tweeddale possessed special qualifications for
restoring the discipline of the army, which had been allowed to fall into a somewhat relaxed state. He did much to improve the
condition not only of the soldiers, but of the people also, and to draw out the resources of the country.
On his return home, in 1848, the Marquis resumed the operations which he had previously commenced for the improvement of his
estates. He led the way in tile-draining, in deep ploughing, and in other agricultural experiments, which he conducted at a
considerable expense. He was also the inventor of several eminently useful agricultural implements now in general operation. His
tile-making machine and celebrated Tweeddale plough have conferred an important boon on the farmers of Scotland, and will long
make his name a household word amongst them. His lordship took a great interest in meteorology, and was a proficient in
mechanics. The eminent services which he had rendered to the agricultural interest were acknowledged by his election to the office
of President of the Agricultural and Highland Society.
Lord Tweeddale was conspicuous for his stature and strength; and numerous anecdotes have been told of his gallantry in the field,
and of the terrible effect with which he wielded a sabre longer by a good many inches than the regulation weapon. He was a famous
boxer—one of the very best—and when provoked gave practical proof of his prowess. He was an excellent horseman, was long
known as ‘the Prince of the Heavy Bays,’ was a most skilful whip, and once drove the mail-coach from London to Haddington at a
sitting.
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