Henry Moncreiff-Wellwood 8th Baronet of Tullibole

Biographical Summary

"Sir Henry Moncrieff Wellwood, eighth Baronet of Tullibole, born 6th Feb. 1750; eldest son of Sir William Moncrieff, Bart., min. of Blackford; educated at Univ of Glasgow and Edinburgh; licen. by Presb. of Auchterarder 8th May 1771; ord. to Blackford 15th Aug. 1771; pres. by George III. 24th May, trans. and adm. 26th Oct 1775; was nom. Moderator of Assembly 25th May 1780, in opposition to Henry Spens, D.D., Professor of Divinity, St Andrews, but defeated by majority of 112 to 106; joint-collector of the Ministers' Widows' Fund 17th Feb. 1784; Moderator of Assembly 19th May 1785; D.D. (Glasgow, June 1785); app. one of the chaplains to George, Prince of Wales, 1785, but declined to accept; Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty, 1793. He died 9th Aug. 1827. In the affairs of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge he took a sympathetic interest, and constantly devoted his best efforts to promote its efficiency; he was also one of the original members who, in 1790, formed the Society for Benefiting the Sons of the Clergy. He marr. 16th Nov. 1772, his cousin Susan (died 24th July 1826), eldest daugh. of James Robertson Barclay of Cavell W.S., and had issue -

• Isabella, born 31st March 1774 (marr. 1st Aug. 1803, Sir John Stoddart, Chief Justice in Admiralty Court, Malta), died 1846;
• William, King's Advocate in the Admiralty Court, Malta, born 20th July 1775, died 5th Sept. 1813;
• James, who succeeded to the Baronetcy, Senator of the College of Justice, born 13th Sept. 1776, died 4th April 1851;
• Henry, W.S., born 25th Feb. 1778, died 16th April 1817;
• Catherine, born 17th Jan. 1780, died unmarr.;
• George, born 19th Nov. 1782, died 15th March 1822;
• Archibald, born 20th May 1786."

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. I, page 98

Other References

• Complete baronetage; Cokayne, George E. (George Edward); 1900; Vol. II; page 311-312

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"Henry Moncreiff-Wellwood 8th Baronet of Tullibole FRSE (6 February 1750–9 August 1827) was both a baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and minister of the Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1785. At age only 35 he was one of the youngest-ever moderators. He served as Chaplain to King George III in Scotland.
Life
The Grave of Sir Henry Moncrieff-Wellwood, St Cuthbert's Churchyard
He was born Henry Wellwood Moncreiff at Blackford manse near Stirling on 6 February 1750, the eldest son of Catherine Wellwood and Sir William Moncreiff, Baronet, who equally had the dual claim to fame of being minister of the parish.
After a local education he studied at the University of Glasgow from 1763. He then studied divinity at the University of Edinburgh. On the death of his father it was established that he should fill the role of minister in his stead but he was not yet old enough. In 1768 he removed to the University of Edinburgh to complete his studies.
He was ordained by the Presbytery of Auchterarder on 15 August 1771 aged 21 and began preaching in Blackford. His talent outstripped this tiny parish and in 1775 he successfully obtained the patronage of his uncle to take over as minister of St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh (then generally called the West Kirk). He was first suggested as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1780, but lost to the much older Rev Harry Spens. He was, however, elected moderator in 1785 still aged only 35.
In 1793 he was made Chaplain in Ordinary to King George III in Scotland. In 1796 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Andrew Dalzell, James Gregory and Rev William Greenfield.
He was a member of the Sons of the Clergy. He lived his later life at 13 Queen Street.
He died at Bruntsfield Links on 9 August 1827 following a long illness (compounded by the death of his wife). He is buried in the north-west corner of the northern section of St Cuthbert's Churchyard.
Family
In November 1772, Sir Henry was married to Susan Robertson Barclay (d.1826), his cousin and the daughter of James Robertson Barclay WS of Cavell. Their eldest son, William Moncrieff-Wellwood LLD, was Advocate for the Admiralty and died in Malta in 1813. Their daughter Isabella Moncrieff was a writer of children books who married John Stoddart (later Sir John Stoddart of the Admiralty).
On his death, the baronetcy passed to his second son, James Moncrieff-Wellwood (b.1776).
His sister, Susan Moncreiff, married Rev William Paul, his counterpart in the collegiate section of St Cuthberts."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Moncreiff-Wellwood]