John Montgomerie (died 1725) facts for kids
John Montgomerie (died 11 March 1725) was a Scottish businessman and politician. He was known for collecting customs taxes and was a member of the Whig political party. He served in the Scottish Parliament from 1704 to 1707 and briefly in the British Parliament in 1710.
Early Life and Family
John Montgomerie was born into a Scottish family. He was the fifth son of George Montgomerie, who owned land in Ayrshire. In 1687, John trained to become a "writer to the signet," which was a type of lawyer or legal professional in Scotland.
He married Penelope Barclay in 1689. Later, in 1696, he married Janet Gray. In 1697, he bought land in a place called Wrae in Linlithgowshire.
Political and Business Career
In 1704, John Montgomerie became a representative for Linlithgowshire in the Parliament of Scotland. This meant he helped make decisions for the area. By 1706, he was a burgess of Edinburgh, which gave him special rights in the city. He also became a director of the Bank of Scotland in the same year.
Montgomerie supported the Union with England in 1707, which joined Scotland and England to form Great Britain. After the Union, he became a Commissioner of Excise for Scotland, helping to collect taxes on goods.
He tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Linlithgowshire in 1708 but didn't win. However, in 1709, he was appointed as an Under-secretary of State for Scotland. This meant he worked closely with important government officials, serving as a private secretary to Lord Queensberry.
In February 1710, Montgomerie was elected as an MP for Buteshire. He was chosen by Lord Bute, who was an important person in the area. Buteshire was an "alternating constituency," meaning it took turns with Caithness to have an MP. Because of this, Buteshire didn't have a representative in the next Parliament.
As a supporter of the government, Montgomerie voted to remove Dr. Sacheverell from his position in 1710. When the next general election happened in September 1710, Montgomerie couldn't find another seat in Parliament.
Later Life and End of Career
Around 1712 to 1713, John Montgomerie's business faced difficulties and failed. He was also contacted by the government about customs money he owed. He passed away on 11 March 1725, and his son, George, took over his affairs.
