Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Baronet, of Stobs

Sir Gilbert Eliott
3rd Baronet of Stobs
Personal details
Born	c. 1680
Died	27 May 1764 (aged 84)
Spouse(s)	Eleanor Elliot
Children	George Augustus Eliott
Parents	Sir William Eliott, 2nd Baronet Margaret Murray

Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Baronet, of Stobs (c. 1680 – 27 May 1764)^[1] was a Scottish politician.

He was the oldest son of Sir William Eliott, 2nd Baronet (died 1699), a member of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. His mother was Sir William's second wife Margaret, daughter of Charles Murray of Hadden, Roxburghshire.

The Eliotts of Stobs dominated the politics of Roxburghshire. Three generations of Sir Gilbert's ancestors had represented the county in the Parliament of Scotland, and at the first general election, 1708, to the new Parliament of Great Britain, Sir Gilbert was elected to serve in Westminster as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Roxburghshire.^[2]

He stood down at the 1715 election in favour of William Douglas, son the county's hereditary sheriff. At the 1722 election he let the seat be taken by his relative Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Baronet, of Minto. Minto was appointed in 1726 as a judge of the Court of Session,^[3] and at the resulting by-election Sir Gilbert was elected to replace him.^[2]

However, at a dinner shortly after the election, he fell into an argument with Colonel John Stewart (a former MP for Kirkcudbright Stewartry).^[4] The dispute escalated into a fight, and Sir Gilbert killed the Colonel with his sword. He was declared an outlaw, and fled to Holland. He later received a royal pardon, and returned to Scotland.

Family

On 23 April 1702 at St Bride's Church, London, he married Eleanora or Eleanor Elliot (died 1728), daughter of William 'the laceman' Elliot from London, of the Elliot family of Brugh and Wells, Roxburghshire. They had 10 sons and one daughter, including^[2]

• George Augustus Eliott, Lord Heathfield, (1717-1790)

Gilbert lived quietly on his own lands until his death in 1764, aged about 84.^[2]

References

1. Leigh Rayment's list of baronets – Baronetcies beginning with "E"
2. Wilkinson, David (2002). D. Hayton; E. Cruickshanks; S. Handley, eds. "ELIOTT, Sir Gilbert, 3rd Bt. (c.1680-1764), of Stobs, Roxburgh". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715. Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
3. Blackie, Jane. "Elliot, Sir Gilbert, second baronet, Lord Minto". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8659. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. Simpson, J. M. (2002). D. Hayton; E. Cruickshanks; S. Handley, eds. "STEWART, John (d. 1726), of Livingstone, Kirkcudbright. and Stewartfield (Hartrigge), Roxburgh". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715. Boydell and Brewer. Retrieved 3 July 2014.