BARON

See also:

• FRANCIS
• FRANCIS (FRarrcols) OF SALES, ST (1567-1622)
• FRANCIS (Lat. Franciscus, Ital. Francesco, Span. Francisco, Fr. Francois, Ger. Franz)
• FRANCIS, SIR PHILIP (174o-1818)

FRANCIS

See also:

• NAPIER
• NAPIER, JOHN (1550-1617)
• NAPIER, SIR CHARLES (1786-1860)
• NAPIER, SIR CHARLES JAMES (1782-1853)
• NAPIER, SIR WILLIAM FRANCIS PATRICK (1785-1860)

NAPIER NAPIER AND

See also:

• ETTRICK

ETTRICK (1819-1898)  , British diplomatist, was descended from the ancient Scottish family of Napier of Merchistoun, his ancestor Sir Alexander Napier (d. c . 1473) being the elder son of Alexander Napier (d. c . 1454), provost of Edinburgh, who obtained lands at Merchistoun early in the 15th century . Sir Alexander was comptroller of the household of the king of Scotland, and was often sent to England and elsewhere on public business . Of his descendants one Napier of Merchistoun was killed at Sauchieburn, another fell at Flodden and a third at Pinkie . The seventh Napier of Merchistoun was Sir Archibald Napier (1534-1608), master of the Scottish mint, and the eighth was John Napier (q.v.) the inventor of logarithms . John's eldest son, Sir Archibald Napier (c . 1576-1645), was treasurer-depute of Scotland from 1622 to 1631, and was created Lord Napier of Merchistoun in 1627 . He married Margaret Graham, sister of the great marquess of Montrose, whose cause he espoused, and he wrote some Memoirs which were published in Edinburgh in 1793 . His son Archibald, the 2nd lord (1625-1658), fought under Montrose at Auldearn, at Alford, at Kilsyth and at Philiphaugh, and was afterwards with his famous uncle on the continent of Europe . His son, Archibald, the 3rd lord (d . 1683), was succeeded by special arrangement in the title, first by his nephew, Thomas Nicolson (1669-1686), a son of his sister Jean and her husband Sir Thomas Nicolson, Bart .

(d . 1670), and then by his sister Margaret (d . 1706), the widow of John

Brisbane (d . 1684) . The 6th lord was Margaret's grandson Francis Scott (c . 1702-1773), a son of Sir William Scott, Bart., of Thirlestane (d . 1725) . Francis Scott, who took the additional name of Napier, had a large family, his sons including William, the 7th lord, and Colonel George Napier (1751-1804) . His famous grandsons are dealt with above . Another literary member of the family was Mark Napier (1798-1879), called by Mr Andrew Lang " the impetuous biographer of Montrose," who wrote Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston (1834), Montrose and the Covenanters (1838), Memoirs of Montrose (1856), Memorials of Graham of Claverhouse (1859-1862), and a valuable legal work, The Law of Prescription in Scotland (1839 and again 1854) . William, 7th Lord Napier (1730-1775), was succeeded as 8th lord by his son Francis (1758-r823), who, after serving in the English army during the American War of Independence, was lord high commissioner to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, and compiled a genealogical account of his family which is still in manuscript . His son William John, the 9th lord (1786-1834), who was present at the battle of Trafalgar, was the father of Francis Napier, Lord Napier and Ettrick .

Born on the 15th of September 1819 Francis entered the diplomatic service in 184o, and was employed in successive posts at Vienna, Constantinople, Naples, Washington and the Hague . During this time he earned the highest opinions both at home and abroad . In r86o he became ambassador at St Petersburg, and in 1864 at Berlin . In 1866 he was appointed governor of Madras, and was at once confronted with a serious famine in the northern districts . In dealing with this and other problems he showed great activity and practical sense, and he encouraged public works, particularly irrigation . In 1872 he acted for a few months as Viceroy, after Lord Mayo's assassination; and on Lord Northbrook's appointment to the office he returned to • England, being created a baron of the United Kingdom (Baron Ettrick of Ettrick) for his services . He continued, both in England and in Scotland, to take great interest in social questions . He was for a time a member of the London School Board, and he was chairman of the Crofters' Commission in 1883, the result of which was the appointment of a permanent body to deal with questions affecting the Scottish crofters and cottars . He died at Florence on the 19th of December 1898, leaving a widow and three sons, the eldest of whom, William John George (b . 1846), succeeded to his titles .