General Sir WILLIAM ERSKINE of Torrie, later Bt.
1728-95

He was born in Edinburgh, March 1728, son of Lieut. Col. William Erskine of Torrie and Henrietta Baillie (of the Lamington family). His father was a cousin of the Monypenny siblings - the mother of Gen. Alexander Leslie, and the father of Col. Alexander Monypenny. Young William joined his father's regiment, 7th Dragoons, in 1742. A veteran of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, he was knighted in 1763. Colonel of the 80th Foot, 1777, Major General 1779, Lieutenant General 1787, and Col. of 26th (Cameronians). In America, he was Quarter Master General under Sir Henry Clinton, and returned to Britain in 1779. He was made a Baronet in 1791. He later served in Flanders with the Duke of York. He served in 19 campaigns in 53 yrs of military service. He died in 19 March, 1795, aged 67, and was buried at Torryburn, Fife.
Sir William married (as second husband) Frances Moray in 1767. She predeceased him, dying in 1793. His 3 sons - Gen Sir William Erskine, who committed suicide in Spain in 1813 after a mental breakdown, Gen. Sir James Erskine, and Sir John Drummond Eskine - in turn succeeded to the baronetcy, but none left issue. The estate passed to his daughter Frances' descendants, the Wemysses of Wemyss, and was sold later in 19C. 

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