The Cyclopedia of India/Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, Earl of Minto
His Excellency The Right Hon. Sir Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, Earl of Minto, P.C., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., G.C.M.G.,
Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. SIR GILBERT JOHN ELLIOT-MURRAY-KYNYNMOUND, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, is the fourth Earl of Minto. The title was created in 1813, predecessors of the Earl having been created Baronet in 1700, Baron of Minto in 1797, and Earl of Minto and Viscount Melgund in 1813. The first Earl of Minto (Sir Gilbert Elliot) was descended from an old border family, the Elliots of Minto, who were a branch of the family of Stobs, and was born at Edinburgh in 1751. His father, Sir Gilbert Elliot, was a member of the administration of Pitt and Granville, and was spoken of by Horace Walpole as “one of the ablest men in the House of Commons." He was created Baron Minto in 1797, and after tilling several diplomatic posts with great success became, in 1807, Governor-General at Fort William. His great-grandson was born at London, England, on the 9th July 1845. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge, taking his degree at the latter place. During these years he showed considerable powers as an athlete; and in Minto House there are to be seen several trophies of his skill in rowing, sculling and miming. Lord Minto rode in many races on the Hat and across country, and in 1874 brought Captain Machell’s “Defence” in fourth for the Grand National at Liverpool; and won the Grand National Steeplechase of France at Antenil on “Miss Hungerford;" and in many other events over hurdles he rode winners trained by Mr. Richardson. It is related of His Lordship that at the Lincoln Spring Meeting of 1875, he passed the post first on five different mounts. He was also well known as a bold rider with the Duke of Grafton’s, Lord Yarborough’s and the Bicester Hounds.
In Military affairs the Earl has had great experience and frequently seen active service. Having finished his education, he, then Lord Melgund, joined the Scots Guards in 1867. leaving that Regiment after three years' service. In the following year, 1871. he was for a short while in Paris, with his two brothers, during the Commune. In 1874 he went as Correspondent for the Morning Post with the Carlist Army in Navarre and Biscay in the North of Spain. In the spring of 1877, he went out to Turkey. There lie was attached by the British Ambassador to the Turkish Army, and became Assistant Attache under Colonel Lennox, and was the first to announce in England that the Russian Army had crossed the Balkans. He was present with the Turkish Army at the Bombardment of Nikopoli and the crossing of the Danube. In 1878 His Lordship came out to India. He went straight to the front in Afghanistan, joined Lord Roberts, and was With him in the Kurram Valley. When peace was concluded after the treaty of Gundamak, he went to Simla, and when there was asked to accompany Cavagnari’s mission to Cabul, and to carry a despatch from that place across the frontier to General Kauffman, who was then commanding the Russian advanced post at Samarcand. The idea was, however, given up, owing to Cavagnari’s opinion that the whole mission would become Stale prisoners at Cabul, and that it would be impossible to proceed further with despatches. Shortly after Lord Minto heard of the massacre at Cabul. Cavagnari and the whole of his escort, with the exception of one man, were killed. In 1881 after the defeat of Majuba he accompanied Lord Roberts to the Cape as Private Secretary. In 1882 Lord Minto went out to Egypt as Captain in the Mounted Infantry—picked shots from all the different Regiments and mounted on little Arab horses—until they were disbanded at Cairo. Most of the officers were either killed, wounded or invalided. One of the surviving officers, Major Bartelot, was killed during the Stanley Expedition. Lord Mm to was wounded in action at Magfar. He was several times men tinned in despatches and was thanked in general orders.
In 1883 His Lordship went out to Canada as Military Secretary to the Marquis of Lansdowne, then Governor-General. When there, telegrams arrived asking him to raise three hundred Canadian Boatmen and take them out to Egypt in Command. There were various reasons why he could not go, and he was then asked to organize the whole body, which he did. It was in the spring of 1SS5 that the North-West Rebellion broke out under Riel. The operations were similar to Lord Wolseley’s Red River Expedition in 1870. General Middleton was sent up with a force of Volunteers to quell the outbreak, and Lord Melgund was appointed Chief of the Staff. In 1889 he was appointed General Commanding the Scottish Border Volunteer Brigade. His decorations include the Afghan Medal, Egyptian Medal, 1882, Medjidie Khedive Star and the North-West Canada 1885 Medal and Clasp and Volunteer Officers' Decoration. He was to the front in starting the Border Mounted Rifles (disbanded in 1888); and when the Scottish Border Brigade was formed in July 1888, His Lordship was appointed Brigadier-General. In 1898 Lord Minto returned to Canada as Governor-General, and the six years of his administration were eventful ones for the Dominion, whether viewed with regard to internal development or Imperial relations. They covered a period of prosperity unexampled in its previous history. The trade and revenue of the country increased by leaps and bounds. The Earl of Minto was a great success in Canada, and the series of demonstrations of kindly feeling that were exhibited in nearly all the large centres of the Dominion during the last few weeks of his term of office, showed how sincerely cordial were the relations that had been established between Lord and Lady Minto and the Canadian people of all races, religious denominations, and political parties. Lord Minto was known to be on terms of intimate friendship with Sir Wilfred Laurier, the trusted Leader of the Reform party, whose administration has been marked by various measures tending to unite Canada more closely with the Empire. Shortly after the resignation of Lord Curzon in 1905 Lord Minto was appointed Viceroy of India, arriving in Calcutta in December. In 1883 he married Mary Caroline Grey, daughter of General the Honourable Charles Grey, who was Private Secretary to the Queen. There are five children—Lady Eileen Elliot, Lady Ruby, Lady Violet, Viscount Melgund and the Hon. William Esmond Elliot.
Government House, Calcutta.