General Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart (21 March 1721 – 14 August 1776) was a British soldier and diplomat. He was also chief of the Clan Cathcart

Clan Cathcart

-Origins of the Clan:As well as being a surname Cathcart is a Scottish town just south of Glasgow. There is some speculation as to the origin of the name Cathcart. Some believe it is ancient Celtic meaning, "Fort on the River Cart", as that river flows right past the ancient castle. Others believe...

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The son of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart and Marion Shaw, he was born on 21 March 1721. Opposed to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy

House of Stuart

The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...

, he became an aide-de-camp

Aide-de-camp

An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...

 to the Duke of Cumberland

Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland

Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...

 and during the Battle of Fontenoy

Battle of Fontenoy

The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...

 in 1745, was shot in the face. Joshua Reynolds' portrait (1753-5) shows the black silk patch he used to cover the scar on his cheek. This seemingly earned him the soubriquet 'Patch Cathcart'. The following year at the Battle of Culloden

Battle of Culloden

The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...

 again acting as ADC to Cumberland Cathcart was once more wounded in battle.

On 24 July 1753 he married Jane Hamilton (1722 - 1771), daughter of Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton

Lord Archibald Hamilton

Lord Archibald Hamilton was a British politician.Hamilton was the youngest son of William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton and Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton. He became a Captain in the Royal Navy and in 1708, was elected as MP for Lanarkshire...

 and Lady Jane Hamilton.

They had seven children:

• Jane (b. 20 May 1754 - 1790), first wife of the fourth Duke of Atholl
  John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl
  John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl KT, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Tullibardine 1764 and 1774, was a Scottish peer.-Background:...
  
  .
• William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart
  William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart
  General William Schaw Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart KT, PC, PC , Scottish soldier and diplomatist, was born at Petersham, and educated at Eton.-Military career:...
  
   (b. Sept. 17, 1755 - 1843)
• Mary (b. 1757 - June 26, 1792), only wife to ( Thomas Graham 1748 - 1843,Major General/Baron Lynedoch of Balgowan)
• Charles (b. 1760 - June 10, 1788)
• Louisa (b. 1761)
• Archibald (b. 1765)
• Catherine Charlotte (b. 1770)

Charles was the last Lord Cathcart to inherit the family estate of Sundrum. Upon inheriting his mother's estates in Greenock he sold Sundrum to James Murray of Broughton in 1758.

In 1763 he was created a Knight of the Order of the Thistle

Order of the Thistle

The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...

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In February 1768 he was appointed ambassador at St Petersburg and was well received by Catherine the Great. He served at the Russian court until 1772. On his return to Britain he was elected Rector of Glasgow University

Rector of Glasgow University

The Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow is one of the most senior posts within that institution, elected every three years by students. The role of the Rector is to represent students to the senior management of the University and raise issues which concern them...

in 1773.

He died on 14 August 1776.