Marischal, George Keith, 10th Earl

Marischal, George Keith, 10th Earl [S] (c.1693–1778). Marischal was the son of a Jacobite sympathizer and succeeded to the earldom in 1712. The title carried with it the hereditary marshalship of Scotland. In 1715 he joined in the earl of Mar's rising on behalf of the pretender, fought at Sheriffmuir, and was attainted. With his brother James he embarked on the abortive rising of '19 and was wounded at Glenshiel. Thereafter their lives were spent largely abroad, mainly in the service of Frederick the Great. The younger brother became a Prussian field marshal and was killed at Hochkirchen in 1758. The earl served as ambassador to France 1751–4 and to Spain 1759–61. He passed on useful information about the family compact between France and Spain to George II and was pardoned in 1759, though not restored to his title. In 1763 he returned to his native Scotland and recovered many of the family estates, but found the climate disagreeable, preferring that of Prussia, to which he returned. In later years he spoke bitterly of the selfishness and ingratitude of the Stuart family. Boswell, in his European tour of 1763/4, was befriended by Marischal and Rousseau also describes him in the Confessions.

J. A. Cannon