Henry Erskine was born on 23 Dec 1710. His father was Sir John Erskine, 3rd Baronet, MP and a former Jacobite leader. His mother was Catherine St Clair, daughter of Henry the 10th Lord Sinclair. The family home was Alva, Clackmannanshire. Henry studied Law at Lincoln’s Inn in 1728, but decided on an army career instead. His uncle and mentor Lord Sinclair was Colonel of the regiment that was later the 22nd, and Henry became an ensign in that unit in 1735. He was wounded twice in action.
His older brother Charles inherited the baronetcy but was killed at Lauffeld in 1747, so the title passed to Henry who became the 5th Baronet. Like most aristocrats at the time he was a politician as well as a soldier. He was an admirer of Lord Bute and Pitt the Elder, but because of his voting choices in Parliament which placed him in the camp of the Prince of Wales, he was dismissed from the army in January 1756. Pitt spoke up for him, and in 1757 Lord Bute secured for him the office of Surveyor of the King’s Roads as ‘atonement for for unjust and cruel treatment’. It was not until George III acceded to the throne on 25 Oct 1760 that Sir Harry Erskine, as he was known, was restored to the army. He unwisely befriended Lord George Sackville who was disgraced after his conduct at the Battle of Minden.
He was married to Janet Wedderburn, daughter of Lord Chesterhall. They had two sons and a daughter. Sir Henry died at York on 9 Aug 1765. He was remembered as a faithful friend, wit and minor poet. Alexander Carlyle wrote that he was ‘a truly honest man, but his views were not extensive nor his talents great.’
1735 Ensign in St Clair’s Regiment (later 22nd Foot)
1736 Lieutenant. ditto
1743 Captain in St Clair’s Regiment (later 1st Royal Scots)
1749 MP for Ayr Burghs. 29 Dec
1754 MP for Anstruther-Easter Burghs. 9 Aug
1756 dismissed from the army in January
1757 Surveyor of the King’s Private Roads
1760 Reinstated as Major General. Oct
1760 Colonel of 67th Regiment. 30 Oct
1761 Colonel of 25th Regiment. 29 May
1762 Colonel of the 1st Royal Regiment. 17 Dec
1765 Lieutenant-General
1765 Secretary of the Order of the Thistle
