Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 46.djvu/385

 to oppose the Act of Billeting, which was aimed at Lauderdale, and retained his offices after Middleton's fall from power.

In 1676 an intrigue, attributed to the influence of the Duchess of Lauderdale, led to his removal from the office of lord clerk register, which was given to the duchess's kinsman, Sir Thomas Murray of Glendook, during pleasure; but, ‘to stop his mouth and sore against his heart,’ Primrose received the office of justice-general, which was inferior in emoluments. Deprived of this office also on 16 Oct. 1678, he died on 27 Nov. 1679, and was buried in the church of Dalmeny, in which parish the estate of Bambougle or Dalmeny, purchased by him from the Earl of Haddington in 1662, is situated. Bishop Burnet, a contemporary though not unprejudiced witness, has drawn his character with some justice: ‘He was a dexterous man in business. He had always expedients ready at every difficulty. … He was always for soft counsels and slow methods, and thought that the chief thing that a great man ought to do was to raise his family and his kindred, who naturally stick to him; for he had seen so much of the world that he did not depend much on friends, and so took no care of making any.’

Lord Carrington married, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Sir James Keith of Benholm; and, secondly, Agnes, daughter of Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, and widow of Sir James Dundas of Newliston. William, his eldest surviving son by his first wife, succeeded to the baronetcy. His youngest son by his first wife, Gilbert Primrose (1654–1731), obtained a commission in the 1st footguards, 1 Sept. 1680, served on the Rhine and in the Low Countries under Marlborough, and became colonel of the 24th foot on 9 March 1708, and major-general on 1 Jan. 1710. He resigned his regiment in 1717, and died at Kensington Square on 2 Sept. 1731 (Gent. Mag. s.a. p. 403). The only son by his second wife, Archibald, first Earl of Rosebery, is separately noticed.

[Acts of Parliament of Scotland, vi. and vii.; Books of Sederunt of Court of Session; Records of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. ix.; Sir J. Mackenzie's History of Scotland; Kirkton's History; Balfour's Annals, vol. iv.; Burnet's History of his Own Time; Brunton and Haig's Senators of the College of Justice. For Gilbert Primrose see Dalton's Army Lists, i. 276; Douglas's Peerage, ed. Wood, ii. 405; Beatson's Polit. Index, ii. 141, 222; Marlborough's Despatches, iv. 367.] 

PRIMROSE, ARCHIBALD, of Dalmeny, first (1661–1723), only son of Sir Archibald Primrose, lord Carrington [q. v.], lord-justice-general, by his second wife, Agnes, daughter of Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, and widow of Sir James Dundas, was born on 18 Dec. 1661. In his early manhood he travelled abroad, and served in the imperial army of Hungary. Being opposed to the policy of James II in Scotland, he was on 26 June 1688 summoned before the privy council on the charge of leasing-making and sowing discord among the officers of state; but, through the intervention of the Duke of Berwick, the process against him was countermanded. After the Revolution he was appointed one of the gentlemen of the bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark, on whose death in 1708 the salary of 600l. a year attached to the office was continued to him for life. In 1695 he was chosen to represent the county of Edinburgh in the Scottish parliament, and, on account of his steady and zealous support of the government, he was by patent, dated at Kensington 1 April 1700, created Viscount Rosebery, lord Primrose and Dalmeny, to him and heirs male of his body, which failing, to the heirs female of his body, which also failing, to the heirs of entail of his lands. On the accession of Queen Anne he was sworn a privy councillor, and created Earl of Rosebery, Viscount of Inverkeithing, and Lord Dalmeny and Primrose in the Scottish peerage, by patent 10 April 1703, to him and heirs male of his body, which failing, to heirs female. He was one of the commissioners for the union with England, and after its accomplishment was chosen a Scottish representative peer in 1707, 1708, 1710, and 1713. He died on 20 Oct. 1723. By his wife Dorothea, only child and heiress of Everingham Cressy of Birkin, Yorkshire—representative of the ancient families of Cressy, Everingham, Birkin, &c.—he had six sons and six daughters. He was succeeded in the peerage by his eldest son James, who, on the death in 1741 of his kinsman Hugh, viscount Primrose, inherited the family estate and baronetage of the elder branch of the Primrose family [see ].

[Carstare's State Papers; Lockhart Papers; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood); Burke's Peerage.] 

PRIMROSE, ARCHIBALD JOHN, fourth (1783–1868), eldest son of Neil, third earl of Rosebery, by his second wife, Mary, only daughter of Sir Francis Vincent of Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, was born at Dalmeny Castle, Linlithgowshire, on 14 Oct. 1783. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he gra-