Francis Wemyss-Charteris facts for kids

Francis Wemyss Charteris (October 21, 1723 – August 24, 1808) was a Scottish landowner. He is known for claiming the title of the 7th Earl of Wemyss. Even though he used the title, he was never officially recognized as the Earl during his lifetime.

Life of Francis Charteris

Francis Wemyss Charteris was the second son of James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss. His mother was Janet, who was the daughter of a very rich man named Colonel Francis Charteris.

When Francis was born, his name was Francis Wemyss. But on February 24, 1732, he legally changed his name to Francis Wemyss Charteris. He did this to honor his mother's family name. This happened when he inherited the large estates of his mother's father, Colonel Charteris. Later, in 1792, official records show that Francis Charteris, who called himself the Earl of Wemyss, owned several important lands. These included the area of Newmilns (also called Amisfield) and half of the land of Morham. He also owned a grain mill near Haddington called Abbey Mill.

Claiming the Earl Title

Francis had an older brother named David. David was involved in the Jacobite rising of 1745. This was a rebellion where people tried to put a different king on the throne of Great Britain. Because of his role, David was declared a traitor in 1746. This meant he lost his right to inherit his family's titles.

David died in 1787 without having any children. Normally, Francis would have become the seventh Earl of Wemyss. However, because his brother had been declared a traitor, Francis could not officially inherit the title. Despite this, he still chose to use the title of Earl.

Building Grand Homes

Francis Wemyss Charteris was very interested in building and improving his estates. In 1756, he hired a famous architect named Isaac Ware. He asked Ware to build a huge house called Amisfield House. This house was built on land his grandmother had bought. It was named after her family's original home, also called Amisfield.

In 1781, Francis bought another large estate called Gosford House. He lived there while Amisfield House was being worked on. Later, in 1784, he hired John Henderson to update Amisfield House even more. Once Amisfield House was ready, Francis then hired another famous architect, Robert Adam. Adam was asked to completely redesign Gosford House.

Later Life and Legacy

Francis Charteris passed away in August 1808. He was 84 years old. He is buried in a special family tomb called the Wemyss Mausoleum. This mausoleum is a very large stone pyramid located near Gosford House. Francis is the only family member buried inside this unique pyramid.

Years later, in 1826, Francis's grandson, Francis Douglas, was able to reverse the old declaration that his great-uncle David was a traitor. This meant that the family's right to the Earl title was restored. Because of this, Francis Douglas officially became the eighth Earl of Wemyss.

Family Life

On September 12, 1745, Francis Charteris married Lady Katherine Gordon. She was the daughter of the 2nd Duke of Gordon. They had five children together:

• Frances Charteris (died 1848), who married Rev William Trail
• Francis Wemyss Charteris, known as Lord Elcho (1749–1808)
• Helen Charteris
• Walpole Charteris
• Anne Charteris

Images for kids

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  The grave of Francis Charteris at Gosford House