Lords Cathcart (1452)

1^st Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.?, a.1452, d.1497

Alan Cathcart received the territorial Barony of Cathcart in 1452. In 1484, he was Master of the Artillery and Warden of the West Marches.

2^nd Lord Cathcart, John Cathcart, b.?, a.1497, d.1535

Grandson of the 1^st Lord and Janet Maxwell, and son of Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (b.?, d.b.1497).

3^rd Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.?, a.1535, d.1547

Grandson of the 2^nd Lord and Margaret Kennedy, and son of Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (b.?, d.1513) and Agnes Lyle, daughter of Robert Lyle, 2^nd Lord Lyle. He was killed at the Battle of Pinkie.

4^th Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.c.1537, a.1547, d.1618

Son of the 3^rd Lord and Helen Sempill (b.?, d.a.1547), daughter of William Sempill, 2^nd Lord Sempill. He fought at the Battle of Langside and was Master of the Household to King James VI.

5^th Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.c.1600, a.1618, d.1628

Grandson of the 4^th Lord and Florence McDougall, and son of Alan Cathcart, Master of Cathcart (b.1562, d.1602) and Isabel Kennedy.

6^th Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.1628, a.1628, d.1709

Son of the 5^th Lord and Jean Colquhoun, daughter of Sir Alexander Colquhoun of Luss.

7^th Lord Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.c.1648, a.1709, d.1732

Son of the 6^th Lord and Marion Boswell.

8^th Lord Cathcart, Charles Cathcart, b.1686, a.1732, d.1740

Son of the 7^th Lord and Elizabeth Dalrymple (b.1653, d.?), daughter of Sir James Dalrymple, 1^st Viscount Stair. He served in the Scots Greys, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715 against the Jacobites, playing a major part in the Crown’s victory. He was Receiver-General for Scotland (equivalent to Treasurer) from 1725 to 1729, and was Groom of the Bedchamber to George II from 1727 to 1732. He was Colonel of the King’s Carabiniers from 1733 to 1740, and reached the rank of Major-General in 1739. He was a Representative Peer from 1734 until his death.

9^th Lord Cathcart, Charles Schaw Cathcart, b.1721, a.1740, d.1776

Son of the 8^th Lord and Marion Shaw (b.1700, d.1733), daughter of Sir John Shaw of Greenock, Baronet. He reached the rank of Captain in the 20^th Regiment, and fought at the Battle of Dettingen and Fontenoy in the Wars of the Austrian Succession, being severely injured in the latter. He was injured again the following year at Culloden, acting as Aide-de-Camp to the 1^st Duke of Cumberland. He was a Representative Peer from 1752 to 1776, and gained the rank of Lieutenant-General in 1760. He was Governor of Dumbarton Castle from 1761 to 1764 and was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1763. He was First Lord of Police from 1764 to 1776 and Ambassador to Russia from 1768 to 1771. He was also made a Privy Counsellor in 1768. He served a term as Rector of the university of Glasgow from 1773 to 1775.

10^th Lord Cathcart, William Schaw Cathcart, b.1755, a.1776, d.1843

Son of the 9^th Lord and Jane Hamilton (b.1726, d.1771), a grand-daughter of Anne Hamilton, 3^rd Duchess of Hamilton. Educated at Eton and the University of Glasgow, he was admitted as an Advocate in 1776 and joined the Army in 1777, serving first with the 7^th Dragoons and the with the 17^th Light Dragoons in North America, where he distinguished himself in combat. From 1779 to 1781 he was Quartermaster-General of all British Forces in America, before returning to Britain, where he reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Coldstream Guards. He was a Representative Peer from 1788 to 1843, and was Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords from 1790 to 1794. From 1792 he served with the 29^th Foot Regiment, a Major-General then Lieutenant-General, and was Vice-Admiral of Scotland from 1795 until his death. In 1798 he was made a Privy Counsellor, and he was Commander-in-Chief in Ireland from 1803 to 1805. He was received as a Knight of the Thistle in 1805, and served briefly as an Ambassador to Russia, and in 1807, was Commander-in-Chief of the Copenhagen Expedition. This was a successful pre-emptive strike by the British to take Copenhagen in order to trap the Danish fleet so that it could not be used by Napolean to close the Baltic Sea to British ships. After this success, he was created 1^st Viscount Cathcart and 1^st Baron Greenock in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He then served another term as Ambassador to Russia, and was invested as a Knight of the Orders of St Anne of Russia, of St George of Russia, and of St Andrew of Russia. In 1814 he was created 1^st Earl Cathcart.

Earls Cathcart (1814)

1^st Earl Cathcart, William Schaw Cathcart, as above

2^nd Earl Cathcart, Charles Murray Cathcart, b.1783, a.1843, d.1859

Son of the 1^st Earl and Elizabeth Elliot (b.?, d.1847). A career soldier, he fought in conflicts all over Europe, including Waterloo. That year, he was made a Companion of the Bath and a Knight of the Order of St Vladimir of Russia, and a Knight of the Order of Wilhelm of the Netherlands. He moved through the ranks, becoming Major-General in 1830. He was Commander-in-Chief in Scotland from 1837 to 1842, and Governor of Edinburgh Castle during this period. In 1838 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). In 1846 he was made Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in Canada. On his return home, he served as Colonel of various regiments, becoming a General in 1854, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (GCB) in 1859.

3^rd Earl Cathcart, Alan Frederick Cathcart, b.1828, a.1859, d.1905

Son of the 2^nd Earl and Henrietta Mather (b.?, d.1872). He reached the ran of Lieutenant in the 23 Foot Regiment before retiring early from the Army.

4^th Earl Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.1856, a.1905, d.1911

Son of the 3^rd Earl and Elizabeth Mary Crompton (b.1831, d.1902), daughter of Sir Samuel Crompton, 1^st Baronet. He reached the rank of Lieutenant in the Scots Guards, and died unmarried.

5^th Earl Cathcart, George Cathcart, b.1862, a.1911, d.1927

Younger brother of the 4^th Earl. He reached the rank of Lieutenant in the 4^th Battalion, Prince of Wales’ Own Yorkshire Regiment.

6^th Earl Cathcart, Alan Cathcart, b.1919, a.1927, d.1999

Son of the 5^th Earl and Vera Fraser. Educated at Eton and Magdalene College Oxford, he fought in the Second World War, and received the Military Cross in 1944 and the Distinguished Service Order in 1945. He served mostly in the Scots Guards, where he served as commanding officer of the 1^st Battalion, and reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1965 he was made commanding officer of the 152^nd Highland Brigade of the Territorial Army, and in 1969 was Major-General of the Yorkshire District. In 1973, he was made a Companion of the Bath, and was Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron from 1974 to 1980. In 1985, he was invested as a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (K.St.J.) and he was admitted into the Royal Company of Archers.

7^th Earl Cathcart, Charles Alan Andrew Cathcart, b.1952, a.1999

Son of the 6^th Earl and his first wife Rosemary Clare Marie Gabrielle Smyth-Osbourne (b.?, d.1980). He served in the Scots Guards before entering into business, and later local politics. He was admitted into the Royal Company of Archers. He is the 7^th Earl Cathcart, 7^th Baron Greenock, 7^th Viscount Cathcart and 16^th Lord Cathcart. He is also Chief of Clan Cathcart.

The courtesy title for the heir is Lord Greenock.