Hugh Elliot

This article is about the British diplomat born in 1752. For the 21st century British diplomat, seeHugh Elliott (diplomat).For others named Hugh Elliot or Elliott, seeHugh Elliott.

The Right Honourable Hugh Elliot
Governor of the Leeward Islands
In office 1809–1814
Governor of Madras
In office 1814–1820
Personal details
Born	(1752-04-06)6 April 1752 Edinburgh,Scotland
Died	1 December 1830(1830-12-01)(aged 78) Somerset Street, London
Resting place	Westminster Abbey,London
Spouse(s)	Charlotte Louisa von Kraut (1778–1783) Margaret Jones (−1819)
Children	10
Parent(s)	Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, of Minto Agnes Dalrymple-Murray-Kynymound
Profession	Diplomat

Hugh Elliot(6 April 1752 – 1 December 1830) was a British diplomat and then a colonial governor.

Education and early career

Hugh Elliot was born on 6April 1752, the second son ofSir Gilbert Elliot,and the younger brother ofGilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto.His mother was the heiress ofHugh Dalrymple-Murray-Kynynmound.Hugh and Gilbert were educated together, first by private tutor, and later between 1764 and 1766 in Paris, where they were mentored by Scottish philosopher and historianDavid Humeand where Hugh struck up a friendship withCount Mirabeau.In 1768, at the age of 16, Hugh enteredChrist Church, University of Oxford,but left after only two years to complete his military education atMetz.

After that, at the still young age of 18, Hugh Elliot took a commission in the Russian army as an officer, and fought in thecampaign against the Turksin the Balkans. According to family papers, at one point Elliot was forced to swim in theDanubeholding on to the tail of a horse ridden by aCossack.

Diplomatic career

At 21, largely through his father's influence, he took up a diplomatic post as the British MinisterPlenipotentiaryto theDuchy of Bavaria.Four years later, he was named as the British ambassador toFrederick the GreatinPrussia.He developed a reputation as a great social wit, but worked hard to defeat the entreaties of American diplomats during theAmerican Revolutionary War(including, allegedly, at one point stealing the Americandispatch boxand copying its contents).

InBerlinhe married his first wife, Charlotte von Kraut, but when she committedadulteryhe challenged her lover to aduel.He himself was wounded in the duel, but received a written apology from his protagonist. The scandal was to later haunt him during his career, and is most often cited as the reason why, despite an exceptional career in the diplomatic service, he never received the customaryknighthood.

Elliot then served inCopenhagen1782–1791, during which time his reputation soared as he was credited for stopping war betweenSwedenandDenmark,and for helpingGustav IIIreintroduce absolutism in Sweden. Shortly after arriving at Copenhagen, he heard reports of the continued infidelity of his wife, who had remained in Berlin with their daughter. He decided that he would not allow their child to stay with her mother, and managed to personally carry out an abduction of her from Berlin, and bring her back to Copenhagen with him.

In 1792, Elliot was named as British ambassador to theElectorate of SaxonyinDresden.Shortly prior to that he married his second wife, Margaret Jones, who was 20 years his junior.

In 1803 Elliot was sent toNapleswhich was then the capital of theKingdom of Naples,where he survived in tempestuous circumstances until his recall in 1806. After his recall, the family endured a period of considerable financial hardship when no postings were found for the diplomat for a period of three years but upon the death ofLord Lavington,Elliot was appointed to serve as Governor of theLeeward Islandsin the British West Indies from 1809 to 1814.

Elliot was a notedabolitionist.Whilst Governor of the Leeward islands, he was reported to be the driving force behind the arrest, trial and execution ofArthur Hodgefor the murder of a slave in theBritish Virgin Islands.His brother-in-law,William Eden, 1st Baron Aucklandpresented thebillwhich would become theSlave Trade Act 1807before theHouse of Lords.

In 1814, he was made a Privy Counsellor. From 1814 to 1820, Elliot wasGovernor of Madras.

Family

Elliot married twice:

1) in 1778 divorced 1783,Charlotte von Krautwith one daughter

• Isabella Elliot (married George Payne 1810, died 1826)

2) in c 1792,Margaret Jones(died 2 March 1819), with nine children:

• Theodore Henry Elliot (died 2 April 1842)
• Emma Elliot (died 10 August 1866), who marriedSir Thomas Hislop, 1st Baronet
• Edward Francis Elliot(died 11 June 1866)
• Caroline Elliot
• Hugh Maximilian Elliot (cir 1798 – died 1 January 1826 Calcutta, India)
• Harriet Agnes Elliot (died 17 April 1845), who married Admiral SirJames Hanway PlumridgeMP.
• Gilbert Elliot(17 Mar 1800 – 11 August 1891)
• Charles Elliot(1801-9 Sep 1875)
• Thomas Frederick Elliot(15 Jul 1808 – 12 February 1880), secretary to theGovernment Commission upon Emigrationin 1831–1832 andAgent General for Emigrationfrom 1837 to 1840.

It has been asserted in several publications that the ill-fated vesselLady Elliot(and, afterwards,Lady Elliot IslandinQueensland), had been named after Margaret Elliot,but the ship was more likely named after Anna Maria Elliot, the wife of Hugh Elliot's brother,Gilbert,who wasGovernor-General of Indiabetween 1807 and 1813 and also 1st Earl of Minto. Hugh was not knighted or heir to any title ofBritish nobility,and Margaret therefore had no title. Anna Maria (later Lady Elliot) was the daughter of SirGeorge Amyand,1st Baronet.

Death and legacy

Elliot died at his home in Somerset Street, London on 1 December 1830, shortly after retiring to bed, and was buried, with his brother, at Westminster Abbey

See also

• Earl of Minto

Sources

• The Hanging of Arthur Hodge,John Andrews (ISBN0-7388-1931-X)

External links

• "Archival material relating to Hugh Elliot".UK National Archives.