Stuart, John; Crichton-Stuart, John; Crichton-Stuart, John Patrick

The lineage of the Marquessate of Bute descends from both John Steuart, a son of King Robert II of Scotland, who around 1385 became Sheriff of a new County of Bute, Arran and Cumbrae, and from Sir Robert Crichton of Sanquar who was created Lord Crichton of Sanquar around 1488.

John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute, was born on 30 June 1744. He became the 1st Marquess of Bute on 27 February 1796. He died in Geneva on 16 November 1814 and he was succeeded to the Marquessate by his grandson, John Crichton-Stuart. His son John, Lord Mount Stuart, born on 25 September 1767, had died on 22 January 1794.

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute and 7th Earl of Dumfries, was born on 10 August 1793, and was only a year old on his father's death. He succeeded first to the Earldom of Dumfries at the age of ten and on the death of his maternal grandfather, Patrick, Earl of Dumfries, 7 April 1803, and then to the Marquessate in 1814 on the death of his paternal grandfather. He married firstly Maria (d. 1841), daughter of George Augustus, 3rd Earl of Guildford, in 1818, then secondly Sophia, daughter of the 1st Marquess of Hastings, in 1845. Their only son was John Patrick. The 2nd Marquess was Lord Lieutenant of Glamorganshire and the County of Bute. He was also Recorder of Banbury and Keeper of Rothesay Castle. John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute and 7th Earl of Dumfries, died on 18 March 1848.

John Patrick Crichton-Stuart (1847-1900), 3rd Marquess of Bute, was born on 12 September 1847. He married Gwendolen Mary Anne FitzAlan Howard, daughter of 1st Lord Howard of Glossop, in 1872. The 3rd Marquess was Hereditary Sheriff and Coroner of the County of Bute, Hereditary Keeper of Rothesay Castle, Lord Lieutenant of Buteshire, Lord Rector of St. Andrews University in 1892 and 1895, Mayor of Cardiff 1891, and Provost of Rothesay 1896-1899. John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, died on 9 October 1900.

The present head of the Bute family is Johnny Bute (b. 1958) who has been a successful motor racing champion. He had been British Formula 3 Champion in 1984 and then went on to drive in Formula 1 in the 1986 season winning, with Jaguar, the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1988. He succeeded to the Marquessate on the death of his father John Crichton-Stuart (1933-1993), 6th Marquess of Bute.

The hereditary home of the Marquesses of Bute is Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute. Since 1993, Johnny Bute has overseen, amongst other projects, the completion of the Chapel decoration scheme at Mount Stuart and other restoration projects.

From the guide to the Letters of the Marquesses of Bute, 1800-1877, (Edinburgh University Library)