shipped thence to Lochaber, and, meeting Montrose in Athol, gave him the commission.
Remaining with Montrose, Spottiswood was present at the battle of Philiphaugh on 13 Sept. 1645, and was taken prisoner. He was carried to Glasgow, and removed thence to St. Andrews, where he was tried by parliament on the charge of having purchased the office of secretary without the consent of the estates, and also with having joined with Montrose against the state. Sir Robert pleaded that he had taken the office of secretary at the king's command, temporarily and under pressure of necessity, and he urged that, though he had been with Montrose, he had not borne arms, and also that he had received quarter when he submitted himself. On 10 Jan. 1646 the case came on for hearing. The last defence was repelled, and, after long debate, Spottiswood was sentenced to death on 16 Jan. He was executed at the market cross of St. Andrews. On the scaffold he maintained his customary courage and dignity. He was not allowed to address the spectators, but he had his speech printed beforehand, and it was distributed among the multitude. A copy of it is printed in the memoir preceding the ‘Practicks,’ and also in Wishart's edition of the ‘Memoirs of Montrose.’
The character of Spottiswood has been variously estimated according to the sectarian predilections of his critics. While Wishart describes him as a martyr whose chief crime was being the son of the archbishop, Baillie denounces him as a partial and corrupt judge, and seems to regard his violent end as a meet punishment for his alleged unfairness to Lord Balmerino. Modern opinion inclines to the decision that Spottiswood was the victim of the presbyterian hatred of Charles I.
Sir Robert's only work is his ‘Practicks of the Law of Scotland,’ the manuscript of which is now in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. It was published by his grandson, John Spottiswood, advocate, in 1706, with a memoir.
In 1629 Sir Robert married Bethia, daughter of Sir Alexander Morrison of Prestongrange, one of the senators of the College of Justice, and by her had four sons (including Alexander, father of John Spottiswood, 1666–1728 [q.v.] ) and three daughters. She died in 1639, and a copy of memorial verses in Latin is in the manuscript of the ‘Practicks,’ now in Edinburgh.
[Very full notices of Spottiswood are given in Wishart's Deeds of Montrose, ed. Murdoch and Simpson, 1893. There is also much personal information in vol. i. of the Spottiswoode Miscellany, 1844. References to Sir Robert will be found in Scot's Staggering State of Scots Statesmen, 1754, pp. 23, 74; Masson's Register of the Privy Council, Scotland, vol. xiii. passim; Tytler's Life of Sir Thomas Craig, p. 21; Lyon's Hist. of St. Andrews, ii. 36; General Assembly Commission Records, 1646–7 (Scot. Hist. Soc.), introduction; Andrew Lang's St. Andrews, p. 252.]
SPOTTISWOODE, ARTHUR COLE (1808–1874), major-general, born on 9 Jan. 1808, was the son of Hugh Spottiswoode of the Madras civil service, who died on his passage to the Cape, 4 April 1820 (Prinsep, Records of Madras Civilians, p. 133); he entered the East India Company's service as ensign on 25 Feb. 1824, became lieutenant in the 37th native infantry (Bengal) on 13 May 1825, captain on 14 Nov. 1833, and major on 17 March 1851. He served with distinction at the siege and capture of Bhartpur in 1826, heading the forlorn hope which led the assault, and receiving the personal thanks of Lord Combermere (medal and clasp). He was employed for many years in the stud department at Haupur, but left this staff appointment for a time to rejoin his regiment during the Afghan campaign of 1838–9. He was made brevet major on 6 Nov. 1846, and brevet lieutenant-colonel on 20 June 1854.
He succeeded to the command of the 37th as lieutenant-colonel on 22 May 1856. His regiment was at Benares, and on 4 June 1857, as it was believed to be on the point of mutiny, orders were given to disarm it. It was a case for skilful handling, for there were other native troops there, and the British force consisted of only 250 men and three guns. Spottiswoode still had faith in his men, to whom, as the native officers said, he had always been a father; but he had to parade them and tell them to lodge their arms. While they were doing so the British troops were seen to be approaching, and a cry rose that they were going to be shot down. The regiment broke, and some of the men opened fire, but they were soon dispersed by the guns, as were also the Sikh cavalry who sided with them. For a time there was great risk that the city would join them, and much fault was afterwards found with the arrangements made by the general in command, Brigadier George Ponsonby. Spottiswoode carried out the burning of the Sepoy lines during the night, and helped to provide for the security of the European women and the treasure. He became colonel in the army on 23 July 1858, and retired with the rank of major-general on 31 Dec. 1861. He died at Hastings on 23 March 1874.
[Annual Register, 1874; East India Registers; Kaye's Sepoy War, ii. 221 sq.]
