Murder of Alexander Montgomerie

Murder of Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton
Section of the Earl of Eglinton's coach door with details of the murder
Born	Alexander Montgomerie (1723-02-10)10 February 1723 Eglinton Castle
Died	25 October 1769(1769-10-25) (aged 46) Burnhouse beach, Ardrossan
Cause of death	Blood loss due to bullet wound
Resting place	Montgomerie family vault, Kilwinning Abbey
Residence	Eglinton Castle
Nationality	Scottish
Citizenship	British
Education	Irvine
Occupation	Landowner and Scottish peer
Parent(s)	Alexander Montgomerie, 9th Earl of Eglinton and Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton
Notes
Murdered by Mungo Campbell

Alexander Montgomerie (10 February 1723 – 25 October 1769) was the 10th Earl of Eglinton. Alexander was mortally wounded on the beach near his stables at Parkhouse on his own estate of Ardrossan by an excise officer or Gaudger (Scots) named Mungo Campbell on 24 October 1769 following a dispute about poaching and the latter's right to bear arms on the earl's grounds.

Alexander, one of twenty siblings, was the eldest son of the 9th Earl of Eglinton and Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton the earl's third wife and a renowned society beauty. Alexander planned and built the conservation village of Eaglesham in 1769 around the basic plan of a capital 'A' (for Alexander). The Earl introduced the young James Boswell to the joys of London society in the early 1760s, and figures prominently in Boswells London Journal, 1762-63. He was the Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland from 1750-51. He was married to Jane (or Jean) Montgomerie, daughter of John Maxwell and widow of James Montgomerie of Lainshaw, the brother of Boswell's wife Margaret. They had no offspring.

Alexander was a great agricultural innovator and although this ultimately led to improvements that were of great benefit they were initially very unpopular with many of the tenants.

Mungo was the son of a Provost of Ayr, born in 1712, and one of twenty-four children. An uncle, also Mungo Campbell, paid for him to have a good education but died when the Mungo was about eighteen years of age. He joined the Scots Greys regiment, then commanded by his relation, General Campbell, and served in two campaigns. After the battle of Dettingen, at which he took part, he had an opportunity of being appointed quartermaster, however he could not raise the required sum of money and it went to another. He left the army and went back to Scotland in 1745, where Lord Loudoun, a relation, was in command of the loyal Highlanders and Mungo fought with him. After the battle of Culloden, Lord Loudoun arranged for him to be appointed in 1746 as an excise officer In Newmilns, then Stewarton, afterwards Irvine and finally Saltcoats.