Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/350

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versation than his volumes.’ In the ‘Wealth of Nations,’ published nine years later, there is no reference to the preceding treatise.

In 1769 Steuart wrote ‘Considerations on the interest of the County of Lanark,’ an attempt to prove that ‘high prices of corn were advantageous to manufacture as well as to agriculture.’ In December 1771 he procured a formal pardon, was presented at court, and became concerned in the affairs of the East India Company, for whose use he printed in 1772, ‘The Principles of Money applied to the present state of the Coin of Bengal.’ The court of directors gave him their thanks and the present of a diamond ring. The treatise led to some correspondence with Francis, then one of the supreme council of Bengal.

In 1773 he obtained, by the decease of his relative Sir Archibald Denham, the estate of Westshields on condition that he took the name of Denham. He afterwards wrote ‘Observations on the New Bill for altering the Laws which regulate the Qualifications of Freeholders,’ &c., 1775, maintaining that the proposal was contrary to the Act of Union; ‘A Plan for introducing an Uniformity of Weights and Measures,’ published in his ‘Works;’ ‘Observations on Dr. Beattie's Essay on Truth,’ 1775; ‘Critical Remarks on the Atheistical Falsehoods of the System of Nature,’ 1775; ‘Dissertation concerning the Motive of Obedience to the Laws of God’ (‘Works’).

Denham died at Edinburgh on 26 Nov. 1780, and is buried at Cambusnethan. By his wife, who survived him, he had a daughter who died in infancy, and a son, afterwards General Sir James Steuart Denham the younger [q. v.], who edited his ‘Works’ in six volumes (with memoir, 1805), and erected a tablet to him in Westminster Abbey.

[Works, &c.; Scots Mag. 1747, p. 259, 1780 pp. 618, 623 et seq.; Gent. Mag. 1780, p. 590, 1781, pp. 28, 29; Annual Register, 1780, p. 252; London Mag. 1780, p. 619. In 1818 ‘Original Letters from the Right Hon. Lady Mary W. Montagu to Sir James and Lady Frances Steuart, and Memoirs and Anecdotes of these distinguished persons,’ was privately printed at Greenock. It was edited by Mr. Dunlop, collector of excise there (Martin, Cat. of Privately Printed Books). Add. MS. 22901, f. 173.]

F. W-t.

DENHAM, Sir JAMES STEWART, the younger (1744–1839), general, the only son of Sir James Steuart Denham the elder [q. v.], was born in Scotland in August 1744. Shortly after his birth his father was obliged to leave Scotland for being implicated in the rebellion of 1745, and in consequence he received his education in Germany. He entered the army as cornet in the 1st dragoons or royals on 17 March 1761, and served the campaigns of 1761 and 1762 with it in Germany. Passing over the rank of lieutenant he was promoted captain into the 105th royal highlanders on 13 Jan. 1763, but was placed on half-pay when that regiment was reduced in the following year. He then travelled for two years in France and Germany, paying special attention to the cavalry of those two nations, and received a troop of the 5th royal Irish dragoons, now the 5th royal Irish lancers, in 1766. His regiment was stationed in Ireland, and he acted as aide-de-camp to Lord Townshend when lord-lieutenant there in 1769, and on 6 Nov. 1772 he was promoted major into the 13th dragoons. In 1773 his father succeeded to the baronetcy and estate of Coltness in the county of Lanark, on the death of Sir Archibald Steuart-Denham, and he as well as his father assumed the additional name of Denham, and on 26 Sept. 1775 he was transferred to the 1st Irish horse, now the 4th dragoon guards. On 15 July 1776 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of his old regiment, the 13th dragoons, on its being converted into light dragoons, and distinguished himself as a capable officer by his skill in this transformation and the new exercises he instituted. In 1780 he succeeded his father in the two baronetcies of Coltness and Westshields; in 1784 he was elected M.P. for the county of Lanark; and on 20 Nov. 1782 he was promoted colonel. Sir James Denham was a most enthusiastic cavalry officer, and spent much time and money upon his regiment, and in 1788 he was appointed by General Sir William Pitt, K.B., commanding the forces in Ireland, to be president of a commission for improving the discipline and general condition of the cavalry in Ireland. The system of cavalry movements which he formulated was received with much favour at headquarters, and after being rearranged by David Dundas was officially adopted by the authorities. On 9 Nov. 1791 he was promoted to the colonelcy of the 12th light dragoons, and in 1793 he was ordered to Toulon with his regiment to act as brigadier-general there, but was prevented from sailing by his promotion to the rank of major-general in October 1793. In 1794 he was placed in command of the cavalry intended to be sent to Flanders with Lord Cornwallis. This plan failing he was appointed to command the cavalry in Scotland, with a special mission to organise regiments of fencible cavalry, which he commanded in camp during the summers of 1795, 1796, and 1797. In the autumn of 1797 Sir James Denham was made a local lieutenant-general with the command of Munster. Here he showed him-