ELIOTT LOCKHART, William (1764-1832), of Borthwickbrae, Roxburgh.

Eliott Lockhart’s father was attached to the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, at whose instigation the son, who served in Ireland in the 1790s, was returned unopposed for Selkirkshire in 1806.Pol. State of Scotland 1788, p. 318; G. Tancred, Annals of a Border Club (1903), 202; WO 13/3774, 3775, ex. inf. Dr D. P. Wojcik. He was never challenged for his seat and drew no particular attention to himself in Parliament, where he did not contribute to debate and acted the part of a Melvillite supporter of administration from 1807. He was in the government majority on the address, 23 Jan., in their minorities on the Scheldt inquiry, 26 Jan. and 5 Mar. 1810 and in their majority of 30 Mar. on the same question. The Whigs overlooked him in their analysis of the House that month. On 16 Apr. he was in the majority against the release of the radical Gale Jones. On 1 Jan. 1811 he was in the ministerial minority on the Regency. He took leaves of absence on 28 Apr. and 21 May 1812. He was listed a Treasury supporter after the ensuing election. He was in the majority for Catholic relief on 2 Mar. 1813 but voted against the bill in May. He was one of the small minority against the third reading of the corn exportation bill, 23 May 1814. On 13 Apr. 1815 he voted with ministers on the civil list, as also on 8 and 31 May, and on 18 Mar. 1816 he was in the government minority on the property tax. He again voted with ministers on the civil list, 24 May. Circularized by Lord Melville to attend in January 1817,SRO GD51/1/185. he was in the government divisions on the Admiralty salaries, 17 and 25 Feb. 1817, and voted against Catholic relief on 9 May.

On 8 Jan. 1818 Buccleuch, who counted on his support for his nominee in Roxburghshire, wrote to him: ‘I am half inclined to abuse you for hinting the possibility of my wishing you to relinquish this county—no such idea ever entered my head’.SRO GD224/580. Nevertheless Eliott Lockhart doubted, in April 1818, whether he would further attend that session.SRO GD46/17/49, Brown to Young, 4 Apr. 1818. He made himself useful to Buccleuch by managing the burgh of Selkirk for him. He took a fortnight’s sick leave on 22 Mar. 1819, but was in the government majority on Tierney’s censure motion of 18 May. He died 6 Aug. 1832.