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Clan Munro USA
Genealogy Pages
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 1763 - 1848 (84 years)
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| Name |
Hugh Munro [1, 2, 3, 4] |
| Prefix |
Sir |
| Suffix |
XXVI of Foulis, 8th Baronet |
| Born |
25 Oct 1763 [2, 5] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
2 May 1848 |
London, , Greater London, England  [2, 6] |
- 22 Manchester Square, London, England
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| Buried |
Kiltearn, , Ross-Shire, Scotland [6] |
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| Person ID |
I29 |
Munro |
| Last Modified |
29 Jan 2014 |
| Father |
Sir Harry Munro, XXV of Foulis, 7th Baronet, b. Est 1720, d. 12 Jun 1781, Edinburgh, , Midlothian, Scotland (Age ~ 61 years) |
| Mother |
Anne Rose, b. Est 1722, d. Yes, date unknown |
| Married |
13 Jan 1758 |
| Family ID |
F1602 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Jane Law, b. Abt 1776, d. 1 Aug 1803, , , , Scotland (Age ~ 27 years) |
| Married |
21 Sep 1801 |
St. Mary-Le-Bone, London, Middlesex, England |
| Children |
| | 1. Mary Seymour Munro, b. 14 May 1796, London, , Greater London, England , d. 12 Jan 1849, Perry-Hill, Sydenham, Kent (Age 52 years) |
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| Last Modified |
29 Jan 2014 |
| Family ID |
F2419 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Hugh was born 25 Oct 1763. In 1781, when he was eighteen years of age, he succeeded his father and became the 26th Baron and 8th Baronet of Foulis.
Shortly after his father's death, he went to London, where he lived for many years. In Nov 1794, he "entered into an irregular union" with Jane Law, who was the daughter of Alexander Law. Alexander was a native of the parish of Keithhall in Aberdeenshire and served as chef to King George III. Hugh and Jane had an illegitimate daughter, Mary Seymour Munro, who was born in London on 14 May 1796.
Sir Hugh and Jane later married in London on 24 Sep 1801, as shown by the following affidavit:
"23rd Sept., 1801.--Appeared personally Sir Hugh Munro, Baronet, and made oath that he is of the parish of Saint Mary-le-bone, in the county of Middlesex, a bachelor aged twenty-one years and upwards; and intendeth to marry with Jane Law, of the same parish, a spinster likewise aged twenty-one years and upwards; and that he knoweth of no lawful impediment by reason of any pre-contract, consanguinity, affinity, or any other lawful means whatever, to hinder the said intended marriage, and prayed a license to solemnise the same in the parish church of Saint Mary-le-bone aforesaid; and further make oath that the usual place of abode of him, the said Sir Hugh Munro, was and hath been in the said parish of Saint Mary-le-bone for the space of four weeks last past. (Signed) "H. MUNRO.
"Sworn before me, N. Parson, Sur."
"Sir Hugh Munro Baronet of this parish, batchelor, and Jane Law of the same parish, and spinster, were married in this church by license, this 21st day of September, in the year 1801, by me "BENJN. LAWRENCE, Curate.
"This marriage was solemnised between us H. MUNRO. JANE LAW. In the presence of THOS. BIRD. JOHN WILLOCK."
Shortly after their marriage Sir Hugh Munro and his new wife took up their residence at Foulis Castle. On 1 (or 3) Aug 1803, Jane tragically drowned while swimming in the Cromarty Firth. She was 27 years old. Hugh and Jane had no other children besides Mary Seymour Munro, but Sir Hugh did have a natural son, George.
It was soon realized that because of the entail that Hugh's father, Sir Harry, had made, that Mary Seymour Munro would inherit the estate of Foulis, but that the title would go to Hugh's closest male heir. If Mary should marry and leave heirs, then the separation of the estate and title would be complete, leaving the head of the house of Foulis and Chief of the clan practically landless. This was all dependent on recognizing Mary Seymour, who was born out of wedlock, as Hugh's legitimate heir since Hugh had later married Mary's mother, Jane. If the marriage had taken place in Scotland, there would have been no grounds for dispute, but since it was performed in England interested persons began spreading stories to the effect that Mary Seymour Munro was not the legitimate heir to the estate of Foulis.
On 27 May 1831, Mary started a lawsuit against her father, and all of the possible heirs of Foulis in order to clarify her right to inherit the estate. Although Sir Hugh was named as a defendant in the action, it is not clear on which side of this issue he stood. The Mackenzie reference says on p. 150 that Sir Hugh was "nominally one of the defenders, but [was] the lady's father and the real pursuer himself." But later on p. 153 it says that because the courts ruled that Mary was entitled to inherit the estate of Foulis, Sir Hugh "gave orders for dismantling it. The furniture of the castle was sold, and all the beautiful timber around the castle and throughout the estates was cut down, and the lands as well as the duties of the proprietor were left for many years to the administration of factors."
Mr. Joseph Mitchell, C.E., Inverness laments the loss of the forests around Foulis by writing that "The trees around this ancient seat were of great age and magnificent size. Nature seemed to have planted them in most picturesque grouping. One chestnut of vast dimensions in front of Ardullie house would, it was said, when in full foliage, shelter 1000 men under its branches... Succeeding generations, however, will lose the charm which groups of antique and venerable trees afforded to the lover of the picturesque in this locality."
Mary Seymour's victory was a hollow one because she found her estate dismantled of its beauties and even in that condition she did not long enjoy it. She intended to make Foulis her permanent residence when her father died in 1848, but she died on 12 Jan 1849 before she could move there. She was unmarried and so, after all, the Foulis estates reverted to Sir Hugh's nearest male heir along with the titles.
Sir Hugh lived for many years at his town residence, 22 Manchester Square, London, where he died on 2 May 1848, at the age of 85. His remains were brought to Ross-shire, and interred at Kiltearn in the family burying-ground of his ancestors.
On his death without legitimate male issue, all the descendants in the male line of Robert, 24th Baron and 3rd Baronet of Foulis, became extinct. The titles, and after his daughter's death in the following year, the estates, reverted to his nearest male heir, Charles Munro, eldest son of George Munro of Culcairn and Culrain.
References: (1) "History of the Munros of Fowlis" by A. Mackenzie - Inverness (1898) - p.
146-155
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The following is a transcription of RW "Billy" Munro's genealogy notes:
[Alexander Munro] «i»son of William Munro, tacksman of Delnies (d. 1778) & Margaret Spens (d. 1750); 'preacher of the Gospel', d. 22 June 1777; tutor to Sir Hugh Munro of Foulis (1763-1848) when a boy at Foulis for two or three years; went with Sir Harry & son Hugh to Edinburgh & remained with them till he was taken ill, when he was sent back to Ross-shire by Sir Harry & died 'early in harvest' 1777; prob. the 'Mr. Alexander Munro student of Divinity at Arduilzie' named in Dingwall Presby 28 Feb & 10 July 1776, witnessed the Foulis entail 28 June 1776, & perhaps the 'preacher of the Gospel' who d. 22 June 1777.
Alness Monument Inscription; Foulis Case v 55; Reg. of Tailzies vol 21 fol 218; Presbytery of Dingwall Minutes, vol 8, pp. 28,34 (NAS ref CH 2/92/8).
«/i»**********
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The following is a transcription of RW Munro's genealogy notes:
[Alexander Munro] «i»tacksman of Culnaskeath; with son Robert had tack of town & lands of Culnaskeath for 19 years from Whitsunday 1794 from Sir Hugh Munro of Foulis.
Foulis Case vi 48
«/i»**********
Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [2, 3]
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| Sources |
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 146-155 (Reliability: 3).
- [S668] RW Munro's Genealogy Database, Robert William Munro, (The collected genealogy notes of RW Munro, Hon. Historian of Clan Munro (Association) edited by Dr. Jean Munro, transcribed by Charles C. Munroe, III and others. Transcription completed Jan 2009. Original card file is kept at the "Storehouse of Foulis" near Foulis Castle in Scotland.), card 140 (Reliability: 3).
1
- [S668] RW Munro's Genealogy Database, Robert William Munro, (The collected genealogy notes of RW Munro, Hon. Historian of Clan Munro (Association) edited by Dr. Jean Munro, transcribed by Charles C. Munroe, III and others. Transcription completed Jan 2009. Original card file is kept at the "Storehouse of Foulis" near Foulis Castle in Scotland.), card 207 (Reliability: 3).
- [S783] Wikipedia, Wikipedia.org, (http://www.wikipedia.org/ : continuously updated), accessed 18 May 2012), Munro Baronets (Reliability: 3).
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 146 (Reliability: 3).
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 154 (Reliability: 3).
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