Robert St Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn

Robert Francis St Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn (2 March 1833 – 6 September 1890),[1][2] styled Lord Loughborough from 1851 until 1866, was a Scottish Conservative politician. He served as Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms under Lord Salisbury between 1886 and 1890.


The Earl of Rosslyn
"The Kirk of Scotland". The Earl of Rosslyn as caricatured by Théobald Chartran in Vanity Fair, November 1881.
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
In office
24 November 1886  11 August 1890
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byThe Viscount Barrington
Succeeded byThe Earl of Yarborough
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
16 June 1866  6 September 1890
Hereditary Peerage
Preceded byThe 3rd Earl of Rosslyn
Succeeded byThe 5th Earl of Rosslyn
Personal details
Born2 March 1833
Died6 September 1890 (1890-09-07) (aged 57)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)Blanche Adeliza FitzRoy (1839–1933)
The grave of Robert Francis St Clair-Erskine near Rosslyn Chapel, Midlothian

Early life

Rosslyn was the son of James St Clair-Erskine, 3rd Earl of Rosslyn, and Frances (née Wemyss).[3]

Career

Lord Rosslyn succeeded his father in the earldom in 1866.[2] He served under Lord Salisbury as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms from 1886 until shortly before his death in September 1890.

He was a minor poet[4] and published "Sonnets" in 1883, "A Jubilee Lyric" in 1887 (dedicated to Queen Victoria) and "Sonnets and Poems" in 1889.

Freemasonry

Robert joined Lodge Oswald of Dunnikier together with James Townsend Oswald on 8 April 1867.[5]

In addition to being Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland between 1870 and 1873, he became Depute Master of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2, on 1 August 1853.[6]

Lord Rosslyn was the Grand Master of the modern Masonic Great Priory of Scotland from 1884 until his death in 1890.[7]

Personal life

Lord Rosslyn married Blanche Adeliza, great granddaughter of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton and widow of Colonel the Honourable Charles Henry Maynard, on 8 November 1866. They had five children:[3]

Lord Rosslyn died in Dysart, Fife on 6 September 1890, aged 57. He was buried on 11 September, just west of Rosslyn Chapel, which traditionally has very strong masonic links. The monument is carved in two different types of sandstone. His wife Blanche was later buried with him.[3]

The Countess of Rosslyn survived her husband by over 40 years and died at York Terrace, Regent's Park, London, in December 1933.[1][2] She was described in her obituary in the New York Times as "one of the last survivors of the great Victorian hostesses". She knew personally many of the most famous people of the Victorian era, including Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone.[10]

References

Political offices
Preceded by
The Viscount Barrington
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
1886–1890
Succeeded by
The Earl of Yarborough
Masonic offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Dalhousie
Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Scotland

1870–1873
Succeeded by
Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, Bt
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James St Clair-Erskine
Earl of Rosslyn
1866–1890
Succeeded by
James St Clair-Erskine
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