Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto
From Free net encyclopedia
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmond, 1st Earl of Minto, born Edinburgh, Scotland, 23 April 1751 - died Stevenage, England, June 21, 1814, was a Scottish politician and diplomat. His uncle was John Elliott (Governor) of Newfoundland.
About 1763 Gilbert Elliot and his brother Hugh were sent to Paris, where their studies were supervised by the renowned Scottish philosopher David Hume, and where they became intimate with Honoré Mirabeau. Having passed the winters of 1766 and 1767 at the University of Edinburgh, Gilbert entered Christ Church, Oxford, and on quitting the university he was called to the bar. In 1776 he entered parliament as an independent Whig. He became very friendly with Edmund Burke, whom he helped in the attack on Warren Hastings and Sir Elijah Impey, and on two occasions was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Speaker.
In 1794 Elliot was appointed to govern Corsica, and in 1797 he assumed the additional names of Murray-Kynynmond and was created Baron Minto. From 1799 to 1801 he was envoy-extraordinary to Vienna, and having been for a few months president of the board of control he was appointed governor-general of India at the end of 1806. He governed with great success until 1813. He was then created Viscount Melgund and Earl of Minto. He died at Stevenage on 21 June 1814 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
The Earl's second son was Admiral Sir George Elliot (1784-1863), who as a youth was present at the Battle of Cape St Vincent and the Battle of the Nile, and who was Secretary to the Admiralty from 1830 to 1834. A nephew of the Earl was Sir Charles Elliot (1801-1875), also an admiral, who took a prominent part in the war with China in 1840. Afterwards he was governor of Bermuda, of Trinidad and of St Helena.
Reference
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition{{#if:{{{article|}}}| article {{#if:{{{url|}}}|[{{{url|}}}}} "{{{article}}}"{{#if:{{{url|}}}|]}}{{#if:{{{author|}}}| by {{{author}}}}}}}, a publication now in the public domain.de:Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1. Earl of Minto
id:Lord Minto jv:Lord Minto ms:Lord Minto nl:Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound sv:Gilbert Elliot, 1:e earl av Minto zh:吉尔伯特·艾略特-默里-基宁蒙德 (第一代明托伯爵)