Earls of Melfort (1686)

1^st Earl of Melfort, John Drummond, b.1650, a.1686, d.1715

Younger brother of James Drummond, 4^th Earl of Perth, and like him close to James VII. In 1685 he was created 1^st Viscount of Melfort and 1^st Lord Drummond of Gillestoun, and then in 1686 1^st Earl of Melfort, 1^st Viscount of Forth and 1^st Lord Drummond of Riccartoun, Castlemains and Gilstoun. He fled with James to France after the Revolution and was created 1^st Duke of Melfort in the Jacobite Peerage, a title recognised by Louis XIV, although all his Scottish titles were forfeited by attainder in 1695. His descendants continued to use all of the titles, and eventually obtained a reversal of attainder in 1853, so it is appropriate to continue the line.

2^nd Earl of Melfort, John Drummond, b.1682, a.1715, d.1754

Son of the 1^st Earl and Euphemia Wallace (b.b.1654, d.1743), daughter of Sir Thomas Wallace of Craigie, Lord Justice Clerk.

3^rd Earl of Melfort, James Drummond, b.1708, a.1754, d.1766

Son of the 2^nd Earl and Marie Gabrielle d’Audibert (b.1675, d.1741), daughter of Jean d’Audibert, Comte de Lussan, from whom he inherited that French title.

4^th Earl of Melfort, James Lewis Drummond, b.1750, a.1766, d.1800

Son of the 3^rd Earl and Marie de Berenger. In 1800 he succeeded as heir-male to the attainted earldom of Perth (nominally the 12^th in the sequence) and the associated Jacobite titles.

5^th Earl of Melfort, Charles Edward Drummond, b.1752, a.1800, d.1840

Younger brother of the 4^th Earl.

6^th Earl of Melfort, George Drummond, b.1807, a.1840, d.1902

Nephew of the 5^th Earl, being the son of that man’s younger brother Leon Maurice Drummond (b.1761, d.1826) and Marie Elizabeth Lucie de Longemarre (b.?, d.1824). In 1853 he obtained a reversal of attainder by Act of Parliament for all the pre-Revolution Perth and Melfort titles. However he died without a male heir and the earldom of Melfort became dormant or extinct, the Perth titles passed to the Viscounts of Strathallan, and the French title of Comte de Lussan passed to his only surviving daughter.

For a continuation of this line please refer to the Perth page.

(Last updated: 20/02/2010)