The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that Kingdom. ... By George Crawfurd, Esq;.

MIDDLETON, Earl of Middleton.

OF this Ancient Family, which originally took its Surname from the Lands and Barony of Middleton, in the County of Kincardin, was Humphredus de Middleton, who in the 24th of Alexander III. is a Witness to the Grant which Robertus Filius Warne|baldi de Cunningham, & Sponsa ejus Richenda, Filia & Haeres Humphredi de Bar••••••••, made Ecclesiae sanctae Tho|mae Martyris de Arbroath, de toto feudo suo in Parc•• de Fordun, pro salute Ani|marum suaruma 1.1. And a Descendant from him, another Humphredus de Middleton, was one of those Barons who did Homage for his Lands, which he held of the Crown, in the County of Forfar, Anno 1306b 1.2. Likeas Gilbert Middleton of That-Ilk, did exe|cute the Office of Sheriff of Forfar, the 3d of King James V.c 1.3. In the 26th of whose Reign John Middleton of Middleton, disposed of the Lands of Middleton to David Falconar of Hal|kerton; after which his Successors, I think, went by the Title and Desig|nation of Cadham, in the County fore|said.

Lieutenant General John Middleton was the Son of John Middleton of Cad|ham, by Helen his Wife, Daughter of John Strachan, of the Family of Thornton, who being bred a Scholar, intended to have made his Fortune that Way, but the Civil War break|ing out, he laid aside that Resolution, and betaking himself to the Profession of Arms, engaged in the Service of the English Parliament, where the Eminency of his Courage made him so much taken Notice of, when he was not above the Degree of a Captain of a Troop of Horse, that by the Time Sir William Waller was sent with an Army into the West of England, di|stinct from the other commanded by the Earl of Essex, Captain Middleton was made his Lieutenant Generald 1.4; and he continued in that Service with singular Reputation, till the Parlia|ment cashier'd the Earl of Essex, and made their new Model; he quit all Command there, and betook himself to the Service of the Estates of Scot|land, where he gave frequent Testi|monies of signal Courage and Valour, in several Actions, insomuch as when the Parliament, Anno 1647, rais'd an Army for the Rescue of the King, upon his being made Prisoner in the Isle of

Wight, he was appointed Lieutenant General of the Horse; and at the Battle of Preston, he maintained a Dispute with the Enemy with great Courage, and with very great Loss to them for several Hoursa 1.5 till losing his Horse, he had the ill Fortune to be taken Pri|soner, and sent to Newcastleb 1.6, where he continued till after the Murder of the King, he found Means to corrupt the Marshal who had the Keeping of him, and made his Escape into Scot|land by the Time K. Charles II. arrived in this Kingdom, where he was received by his Friends with great Joy, to whom such a brave Officer, and of such intire Affections to his Majesty, could not at such a Season but be very accep|table, and when the Parliament had raised another Army to march into England with the Kingc 1.7, whereof his Majesty himself was General, Lieutenant General Middleton had the Command of the Horse; and at the Fight of Worcester, 3d of September 1651, at that Part where Middleton commanded there was a very brave Resistance made, and he charged the Enemy so vigorously, that he beat that Body that charged them, back in great Disorder, and with great Lossd 1.8: But in the Action he received several Wounds whereby he fell into the Enemy's Hands; and assoon as he was fit to be removed, was sent Prisoner to the Tower of Londone 1.9, and destin'd to be sacrificed by Crom|wel, against whom he thought he might more warrantably pro|ceed, than against any other of the Scots Prisoners, because he had here|tofore, in the Beginning of the War, serv'd the Parliament; and to that Purpose he erected a high Court of Justice, for the Tryal of some Persons that had been troublesom to him, espe|cially Major-General Middleton: And the Time approaching that he was to be try'd, his Friends in London gave him so good and so particular Adver|tisement, that he ma•••• his Escape, and after he had co••c••aled himself there a Fortnight or Three Weeks, that the Diligence of the first Examina|tion and Enquiry was over, he had the good Fortune to get himself safely transported over to France, and came to the King to Parts, to the Grief and Vexation of the very Soul of Cromwel, who earnestly thirsted after the Blood of this noble Person.

Lieutenant General Middleton con|tinued to attend on the King till the 1653, his Majesty being importun'd by many Exp••esses, as well from the Scots Lords who were Prisoners in England, as from those who were at Liberty, that Lieutenant General Middleton might be sent over to the Highlands with his Majesty's Com|mission, and with some Supply of Arms; and that by the next Spring they would have an Army ready, strong enough to meet with General Monk; and tho' the King did not (says the Lord Clarendon) expect that any notable Service would be performed by his Friends in Scotland, for his Ad|vantage, or their own Redemption; yet did not think fit to seem to under|value the Professions and Overtu••es of those who had, during his being among them, made all Professions of Duty to him, and therefore gave such a Com|mission and Instructions to the Lieu|tenant General as were necessary, and dispatched him to Scotland, where he arrived with some few Officers, and such a Supply of Arms and Ammuni|tion as could be got upon his own Credit and Activity, in the Winter of the Year 1653, when the Earl of Glencairn delivered up the Command of the Troops to him, and he continu|ed at the Head of them for a whole Year thereafter, but never getting

any Supplies from Abroad, he was at length totally routed and suppress'd by General Monk, after which he found Shelter in some honest Mens Houses, where he was conceal'd, till Opportu|nity serv'd to transport him beyond Sea; that he came to the King at Cologn, 1655, and attended his Majesty's For|tune throughout the rest of the Exile.

Upon the Restoration, his Majesty, in Commemoration of the long and faithful Services of General Middleton. was pleased to raise him to the Degree of an Earl, by the Title of Earl of Mid|dleton, by Letters Patent, bearing Date 1st of October 1660a 1.10, made him Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Forces in Scotland, Governor of Edin|burgh Castle, one of the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council; and appointed him Lord High Commissioner to the 1st and 2d Sessions of the Parliament 1661 and 1662. But being impatient to be the sole Favourite, in his last Session of Parliament, he procured an Act to pass, by which certain Persons were to be incapacitated from all Offices of Ho|nour or Trust, and that by a very new and unheard of Way of Billoting: By which Act the Secretary of State the Earl of Lauderdale, the Treasurer, the Earl of Crawfurd, the Justice-Clerk, Sir Robert Murray, and Others, who had given very signal Testimony of their Affection and Fidelity to the King, were particularly levell'd at: But his Majesty finding the Earl had very far exceeded the Limits of his Commission, in the framing and pas|sing of that Act; and that it was highly derogatory to his Majesty's Ju|stice and innate Goodness he had such a deep Resentment of the Indignity, that he gave Orders to reseind the Act of Billoting, and it fell heavy on the Earl himself, for he was immediately removed from all the Offices he held under the Crown, the Castle of Edin|burgh was given to the Earl of Lauder|dale, and the Command of the Forces to the Earl of Rothes, who had contri|buted very much to his Overthrow. But his Majesty calling to Mind the great Merit and Services of the Earl of Middleton during the Exile, thought it improper he should be dismiss'd with any further Marks of the Royal Dis|pleasure; and therefore, that he might be out of the Way, and never more in a Condition to compete with, or con|troul the Earl of Lauderdale, who had the Ascendant of the other in the King's Affections, he was made Go|vernor of the new English Fort of Tangier in Africa, which was little other than a more decent Exile; there he liv'd till the 1673. Death overtook him in that remote Corner of the World, where his Body was commit|ted to its Rest. He married first Grisel Daughter of Durham of Pi••kar••, Sister to Sir Alexander Durham of Large, and again Martha, Daughter of Henry Earl of Monmouthb 1.11. By his first Wife, he had Charles his Son and Heir, and Two Daughters, Helen married to Patrick Earl of Strathmore, and Grisel to William Earl of Morton.

Which Charles was bred up at the Court of King Charles II. But whe|ther he had any Preferment there be|fore the 1682, I cannot take upon me to determine. But at that Timec 1.12 his Majesty made Choice of his Lordship to go Envoy-Extraordinary to the Emperor, where he proved so successful in his Negotiation, that u|pon his Return he was made conjunct Secretary of State for the Kingdom of Scotland with the Earl of Murray, 26. September the same Yeard 1.13, also, on the 11th of July 1684, he was sworn of his Majesty's Privy-Council of England, and upon the 24th of Au|gust next ensuing, was promoted to be one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State for that Kingdom

in the Room of Sidney Godolphin, Esqa 1.14; in which Office he serv'd the Re|mainder of King Charles's Reign, and thro' the whole of that of his Suc|cessor King James VII, till the Revo|lution, Anno 1688, he followed the Fortune of his unfortunate Master, the King into France, and not return|ing in due Time, he was forfeited by Act of Parliamentb 1.15, 1695.

He married Catharine, Daughter of Robert Earl of Cardigan, of the King|dom of England, by whom he had Charles Lord Clermont, and John Mid+delton, Esq also Two Daughters, Elizabeth married to Edward Drummond, Esq Son to James Earl of Pearth, and Mary to Sir John Giffard Knight.

ARMS

Parted per Fess, Or, and Gules, a Lyon Rampant within a double Tressure, counter flower'd and counter-changed of the same, armed and languid, Azure. supported by Two Eagles volant, Sable. Crest, A Lyon Rampant, Gules, issuing out of a Tower, Massone Motto, Fortis in Arduis.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Chartulary of Arbroath.
• b 1.2

  Rymer's Foedera Angliae, ad Annum 1306.
• c 1.3

  Charta penes me.
• d 1.4

  Clarendon's History of the Rebellion.
• a 1.5

  Memoirs of John first Earl of Middleton, M.S.
• b 1.6

  Ludlow's Memoirs.
• c 1.7

  Clarendon.
• d 1.8

  Ibidem.
• e 1.9

  Ibidem.
• a 1.10

  Charta in Rotulis Caroli II.
• b 1.11

  Dugdale's Baronage of England.
• c 1.12

  Complete History of England, Vol. II.
• d 1.13

  Charta in Rotulis Caroli II.
• a 1.14

  History of England.
• b 1.15

  Acts of Parliament.