The Right Honourable The Earl of Minto PC |
|
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Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William | |
In office 31 July 1807 – 4 October 1813 |
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Monarch | George III |
Preceded by |
Sir George Barlow, Bt As Acting Governor-General |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Moira |
Personal details | |
Born |
Edinburgh |
23 April 1751
Died | 21 June 1814 Stevenage, Hertfordshire |
(aged 63)
Nationality | British |
Spouse(s) | Anna Maria Amyand (d. 1829) |
Alma mater |
University of Edinburgh Christ Church, Oxford |
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto PC DCL FRSE (23 April 1751 – 21 June 1814), known as Sir Gilbert Elliott between 1777 and 1797 and as The Lord Minto between 1797 and 1813, was a Scottish politician diplomat. He was viceroy of the short-lived Anglo-Corsican Kingdom from 1793 to 1796 and went on to become Governor-General of India between 1807 and 1813.
Minto was born in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, and Agnes, daughter of Hugh Dalrymple-Murray-Kynynmound. He was the nephew of John Elliott, Governor of Newfoundland, Andrew Elliot 41st Colonial Governor of New York, and of Jean Elliot the poet.
Hugh Elliot was his younger brother and Sir Charles Elliot his nephew. About 1763 Elliot and his brother Hugh were sent to Paris, where their studies were supervised by the Scottish philosopher David Hume, and where they became intimate with Honoré Mirabeau. Having passed the winters of 1766 and 1767 at the University of Edinburgh, Minto entered Christ Church, Oxford, and on quitting the university he was called to the Bar.