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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