EDMONSTONE, Sir Charles, 2nd bt. (1764-1821), of Duntreath, Stirling.

Edmonstone was returned unopposed for Stirlingshire in 1820 with the support of the 3rd duke of Montrose and Lord Liverpool’s ministry. Soon afterwards a serious illness effectively ended his parliamentary career: no trace of activity has been found, and he was granted periods of leave, 21 June 1820, 9 Mar. 1821. In November 1820 Montrose reported to Lord Melville, the government’s Scottish manager, that Edmonstone intended to ‘vacate at the meeting of Parliament instead of at the latter end of the session’, and that his eldest son Archibald was already canvassing Stirlingshire. However, by early January 1821 he was said to be ‘wholly non compos’ and ‘unable to sign his name’, and the by-election therefore had to be delayed. NAS GD51/1/198/26/47; 5/522. He lingered until April 1821, dying at Brighton. Gent. Mag. (1821), i. 381; Sir A. Edmonstone, Fam. of Edmonstone of Duntreath, 57. He was succeeded by Archibald (1795-1871), and then by the eldest son from his second marriage, William Edmonstone (1810-88); his personalty was finally sworn under £16,000. PROB 11/1643/268; IR26/861/488. Archibald Edmonstone’s subsequent candidature for Stirlingshire was unsuccessful.