James Lockhart
Encyclopedia
James Lockhart of Lee
and Carnwath, Count Lockhart-Wischeart of the Holy Roman Empire, (1727 - 1790), was a Scottish
aristocrat with a successful military career.
, Scotland
, the second son of a prominent Jacobite
family, the Lockharts of Carnwath. His grandfather, George Lockhart
, was the Scottish agent of James Francis Edward Stuart
, the 'Old Pretender', and the author of the posthumously published 'Lockhart Papers'. These documents, including letters and George Lockhart's journal, comprise probably the most important primary source of information on the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Lockhart's elder brother, also named George, was the personal aide de camp to Charles Edward Stuart
, the 'Young Pretender', during the Jacobite rising
of 1745. Upon the defeat of the rebellion at the Battle of Culloden
, George Lockhart accompanied Prince Charles into exile in Paris
. James Lockhart, his younger brother, was 18 years old at the time. As the son of a known Jacobite family—and a second son at that—James's prospects in Britain
were bleak. He therefore left Scotland, aged 18, to make his way in the world as a soldier of fortune
. His first service was as a common soldier in the army of Nadir Shah, the Shah of Persia. How James found his way to Persia is not known for certain. In A Memoir of the 'Forty-Five', (Chevalier de Johnstone, 1958), a Lockhart is mentioned who is probably James (p. 244). The passage is worth quoting in full:
The events described take place in Harwich
, as the Chevalier is making his escape from England some months after Culloden
. While he does not give the Christian name of this midshipman Lockhart, James was in fact eighteen years old when this was written. What is more, his career at sea would help account for his presence some months later in Persia, since the trip overland from Scotland to Persia was exceedingly arduous in 1746.
What immediately followed is not known in detail. Lockhart traveled Europe
enlisting in various armies and learning the military arts. Towards the end of the war of the Austrian Succession he enlisted in the Austrian service to fight in the armies of the Empress Maria Theresa. In 1752 he was commissioned a captain of the Grenadier Company of the 33rd Regiment, but it is likely that he served as a common soldier before that.
Lockhart fought, often brilliantly, in a series of battles against the Prussia
ns during the Seven Years' War
(1756–1763), including the battle of Prague
in 1757. At the battle of Kunersdorf (1759) he was instrumental in turning the tide against the Prussians, securing an Austrian victory. He received promotion after the battle from the commanding officer, Field Marshal
Freiherr von Laudon
. He was again cited for signal bravery at the battle of Landshut
(1761). Lockhart rose rapidly through the ranks of the Austrian army, and became a general in the Austrian service.
. George, however, was attainted with treason
for his role in the '45, and the family estates would therefore revert to the Crown
upon the death of their father, the elder George Lockhart.
Staging the death of the younger George Lockhart in Paris solved the problem. At his "funeral
" a casket
full of stones served as his mortal remains. As a result of this successful strategem, the Lockhart estates at Carnwath in Lanark shire thereafter passed to James Lockhart upon the death of his father.
in the service of her grandson, the Grand Duke of Tuscany
. As Count
Lockhart-Wischeart of the Holy Roman Empire
he thereafter became a favourite of Maria Theresa's successor, the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II
, and an important personage at his Court. Joseph II was a godfather to Lockhart's son, Charles Lockhart, who later inherited the title
. Count Lockhart was a Knight of the Order of Maria Theresa and a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Emperor Joseph II. He served in the last war the Austrians ever waged against the Turks.http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dumfries/index.htm
In his later years Lockhart served on the staff of the Duke of Lorraine, who was the Imperial Viceroy to the Austrian Netherlands
. He may also have served in his own right as the Governor General of one of the provinces of the Austrian Netherlands. (Johnstone, 1878)
Aside from documentary evidence of Lockhart's service in the Austrian Netherlands, a pair of silver candlesticks he acquired in Brussels
in 1782 or later, and had engraved with his personal crest
is extant. http://www.lockharts.com/2010/05/29/the-lockhart-candlesticks-silver-artefacts-as-historical-documents/. This engraved crest is surmounted by the five pointed coronet
appropriate to Lockhart's title
.
and folklore
. He owned the
'Lee Penny'http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/charms13.htm, a Lockhart family heirloom and the most famous of the Scottish touch pieces
. Sir Walter Scott described the Lee Penny in the preface to The Talisman (published 1825), his novel of King Richard
the Lion Heart’s crusade to the Holy Land
. This novel
incorporates a fictional magical amulet
, or 'Talisman', based upon the history and folklore
of the Lee Penny.
The Lee Penny is owned by the present heir of the Lockharts, and is currently housed in a gold
and enamel
snuffbox presented to Count Lockhart by the Empress Maria Theresa.
Lee Castle, South Lanarkshire
Lee Castle, also known as The Lee, is a castellated mansion in Auchenglen, a branch of the Clyde Valley in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located south of Braidwood, and north-west of Lanark...
and Carnwath, Count Lockhart-Wischeart of the Holy Roman Empire, (1727 - 1790), was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
aristocrat with a successful military career.
Early years
James Lockhart was born in LanarkshireLanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the second son of a prominent Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
family, the Lockharts of Carnwath. His grandfather, George Lockhart
George Lockhart
Sir George Lockhart of Lee , of Carnwath, South Lanarkshire, also known as Lockhart of Carnwath, was a Scottish writer, spy and politician.He was the son of Sir George Lockhart of Lee....
, was the Scottish agent of James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
, the 'Old Pretender', and the author of the posthumously published 'Lockhart Papers'. These documents, including letters and George Lockhart's journal, comprise probably the most important primary source of information on the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Lockhart's elder brother, also named George, was the personal aide de camp to Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
, the 'Young Pretender', during the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
of 1745. Upon the defeat of the rebellion at the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
, George Lockhart accompanied Prince Charles into exile in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. James Lockhart, his younger brother, was 18 years old at the time. As the son of a known Jacobite family—and a second son at that—James's prospects in Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
were bleak. He therefore left Scotland, aged 18, to make his way in the world as a soldier of fortune
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
. His first service was as a common soldier in the army of Nadir Shah, the Shah of Persia. How James found his way to Persia is not known for certain. In A Memoir of the 'Forty-Five', (Chevalier de Johnstone, 1958), a Lockhart is mentioned who is probably James (p. 244). The passage is worth quoting in full:
We were scarcely a musket-shot from the shore, when the captain pointed out to me one of the midshipmen in the boat, of the name of Lockhart, asking me if I knew his family in Scotland. I answered in the negative, telling him that I had never been in any other service than that of Mrs. Gray. I was uneasy lest Mr. Lockhart should have recognized me for, as I had been a schoolfellow of his elder brother and frequently in the house of his father, Mr. Lockhart of CarnwathCarnwathCarnwath is a moorland village on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies about south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow...
, he might very possibly have known me. He was about eighteen years of age and had been four years in the navyNavyA navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
. His eldest brother, the heir to a considerable estate, had been foolish enough, like so many others, to join the standard of Prince Charles.
The events described take place in Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, as the Chevalier is making his escape from England some months after Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. While he does not give the Christian name of this midshipman Lockhart, James was in fact eighteen years old when this was written. What is more, his career at sea would help account for his presence some months later in Persia, since the trip overland from Scotland to Persia was exceedingly arduous in 1746.
What immediately followed is not known in detail. Lockhart traveled Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
enlisting in various armies and learning the military arts. Towards the end of the war of the Austrian Succession he enlisted in the Austrian service to fight in the armies of the Empress Maria Theresa. In 1752 he was commissioned a captain of the Grenadier Company of the 33rd Regiment, but it is likely that he served as a common soldier before that.
Lockhart fought, often brilliantly, in a series of battles against the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
ns during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1756–1763), including the battle of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1757. At the battle of Kunersdorf (1759) he was instrumental in turning the tide against the Prussians, securing an Austrian victory. He received promotion after the battle from the commanding officer, Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Freiherr von Laudon
Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon
Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon (German: Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon (originally Laudohn or Loudon) (Tootzen, now Latvia, February 2, 1717 – July 14, 1790 in Nový Jičín, now Czech Republic) was an Austrian field marshal, one of the most...
. He was again cited for signal bravery at the battle of Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
(1761). Lockhart rose rapidly through the ranks of the Austrian army, and became a general in the Austrian service.
Return to Scotland
In 1761 Lockhart resigned his commission and returned to Scotland to deal with problems of succession in the family. His father was ailing, and the Lockhart estates were entailed upon his brother George, still living in exile in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. George, however, was attainted with treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
for his role in the '45, and the family estates would therefore revert to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
upon the death of their father, the elder George Lockhart.
Staging the death of the younger George Lockhart in Paris solved the problem. At his "funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
" a casket
Casket
A casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...
full of stones served as his mortal remains. As a result of this successful strategem, the Lockhart estates at Carnwath in Lanark shire thereafter passed to James Lockhart upon the death of his father.
Military service and honours
The Empress Maria Theresa ennobled James Lockhart in 1782, after a campaign in LombardyLombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
in the service of her grandson, the Grand Duke of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. As Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Lockhart-Wischeart of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
he thereafter became a favourite of Maria Theresa's successor, the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, and an important personage at his Court. Joseph II was a godfather to Lockhart's son, Charles Lockhart, who later inherited the title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
. Count Lockhart was a Knight of the Order of Maria Theresa and a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to the Emperor Joseph II. He served in the last war the Austrians ever waged against the Turks.http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dumfries/index.htm
In his later years Lockhart served on the staff of the Duke of Lorraine, who was the Imperial Viceroy to the Austrian Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He may also have served in his own right as the Governor General of one of the provinces of the Austrian Netherlands. (Johnstone, 1878)
Aside from documentary evidence of Lockhart's service in the Austrian Netherlands, a pair of silver candlesticks he acquired in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1782 or later, and had engraved with his personal crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
is extant. http://www.lockharts.com/2010/05/29/the-lockhart-candlesticks-silver-artefacts-as-historical-documents/. This engraved crest is surmounted by the five pointed coronet
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. Unlike a crown, a coronet never has arches.The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of coronne , itself from the Latin corona .Traditionally, such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent...
appropriate to Lockhart's title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
.
The Lee Penny
Count Lockhart has an interesting connection with Scottish literatureLiterature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. He owned the
'Lee Penny'http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/charms13.htm, a Lockhart family heirloom and the most famous of the Scottish touch pieces
Touch pieces
A touch piece is a coin or medal attached to attracted superstitious beliefs, such as those with "holes" in them or those with particular designs...
. Sir Walter Scott described the Lee Penny in the preface to The Talisman (published 1825), his novel of King Richard
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
the Lion Heart’s crusade to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. This novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
incorporates a fictional magical amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
, or 'Talisman', based upon the history and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of the Lee Penny.
The Lee Penny is owned by the present heir of the Lockharts, and is currently housed in a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
snuffbox presented to Count Lockhart by the Empress Maria Theresa.
Footnotes
- Electric Scotland, see Chapter XI, http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dumfries/index.htm
- www.lockharts.com: http://www.lockharts.com/2010/05/29/the-lockhart-candlesticks-silver-artefacts-as-historical-documents/