Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 16.djvu/34

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As acting grand-master of the Scotch Freemasons, Drummond laid the foundation-stone of the North Bridge on 21 Oct. 1763. The year after his death was passed the act extending the royalty over the fields to the north of the city, and the foundation-stone was laid of the first house in the New Town of Edinburgh. Drummond died at Edinburgh on 4 Nov. 1766, and was buried in the Canongate churchyard, near the grave of Adam Smith. He received a public funeral such as his native city had seldom witnessed. Sir A. Grant (i. 304) calls him ‘the greatest ædile that has ever governed the city of Edinburgh, and the wisest and best disposed of all the long list of town councillors and provosts who during 275 years acted as patrons of the college or university.’ Drummond was of the middle size, and his manners were conciliatory and agreeable. In advanced age the dignity of his person was such that, according to Dr. Somerville (p. 45), a stranger entering a meeting of Edinburgh citizens for the consideration of important business would at once have selected Drummond as the fittest person to take the lead in council. He was an easy and graceful public speaker. There are specimens of his official correspondence in Maitland's ‘History of Edinburgh,’ and a few of his letters on university matters in Thomson's ‘Life of Cullen,’ 1832. In the ‘Miscellany of the Abbotsford Club,’ i. 419, &c. is printed ‘Provost Drummond's Account of the Discussion in the House of Commons upon the application of Daniel Campbell, Esq. of Shawfield for compensation for his losses by the riot in Glasgow,’ caused by the imposition of an excise duty on ale. The letter is dated 25 March 1725, and contains a lively and graphic description of a parliamentary debate. Drummond had a town house in ‘Anchor Close,’ High Street (, p. 207). Besides Drummond Lodge he seems to have had at one time a country house at Colinton, near Edinburgh, where there are to be seen cedars grown from seed sent him by his brother Alexander [q. v.] who was consul at Aleppo (New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1832, i. 112). A sister of theirs gained considerable notoriety as a quaker preacheress throughout the kingdom, in the course of her expeditions raising money for her brother's scheme of a Royal Infirmary, and once delivering an address before Queen Caroline, the consort of George II. Her later career was an unhappy one (see the account of her in, iii. 559, &c.).



DRUMMOND, GORDON (1772–1854), general, fourth son of Colin Drummond, by the daughter of Robert Oliphant of Rossie, N.B., entered the army as an ensign in the 1st regiment, or Royal Scots, in 1789, which he joined in Jamaica. He was rapidly promoted, and became lieutenant in the 41st regiment in March 1791, captain in January 1792, major of the 23rd regiment in January 1794, and lieutenant-colonel of the 8th, or king's Liverpool regiment, on 1 March 1794. This regiment, with which he was more or less connected for the rest of his life, he joined in the Netherlands, and served at its head during the campaign of 1794 and the winter retreat of 1794–5, and especially distinguished himself at Nimeguen. From September 1795 to January 1796 he served in Sir Ralph Abercromby's campaign in the West Indies, and in 1799, after having been promoted colonel on 1 Jan. 1798, he accompanied the same general to the Mediterranean with his regiment, first to Minorca and then to Egypt where his regiment formed part of Cradock's brigade. Drummond distinguished himself throughout the campaign in Egypt, and commanded his regiment in the battles of 8, 13, and 21 March, and at the capture of Cairo, and then of Alexandria. When the campaign was over he took his regiment first to Malta and then to Gibraltar, and left it in 1804 to take command of a brigade on the home staff in England. On 1 Jan. 1805 he was promoted major-general, and in May of that year he took command of a division in Jamaica, which he held while his old comrade, Sir (1762–1824) [q. v.], was governor and commander-in-chief of that colony until August 1807. In December 1808 Drummond was transferred to the staff in Canada, and was retained there after his promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general on 4 June 1811 as second in command to Sir George Prevost. He played a most important part throughout the American war of 1812–14 upon the Cana-