Erskine, David Montagu, 2nd Baron Erskine, 1776-1855

David Montagu Erskine was born on August 12, 1776 into Clan Erskine of Scotland to Thomas Erskine, the 1st Baron Erskine, and Frances Moore. He attended Cambridge and entered the bar in 1802 but did not practice law. He was, instead, elected as Member of Parliament to Portsmouth in 1806. Later in 1806, he was appointed Minister to the United States, where he served as British Ambassador for two years before he was recalled just as he was finalizing negotiations with the withdrawal of the Orders of Council of 1807 and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair. The lack of resolution of these negotiations eventually led to the War of 1812. Erskine was kept from working within the government again until 1824, when he inherited his title from his father. At that time, he was appointed Minister to Stuttgart and later transferred to Munich in 1828. He retired in 1843. Baron Erskine was married three times, his first wife being American Frances Cadwalader, the daughter of John Cadwalader, a general who served in the Revolutionary War. They had twelve children. His second wife was Anna Travis and his third wife was Anna Graham Durham. There were no children from his later marriages. Baron Erskine died on March 19, 1855 and is buried at Cuckfield in West Sussex, England.