Sir Archibald MacDonald

Born in 1746 on the Isle of Skye, Archibald was the third son of Sir Alexander Macdonald, the 7th Baronet of Skeat, Isle of Skye, and Lady MargaretMontgomerie.

Alexander died in the year that Archibald was born, and the baronetcy passed to his eldest son, James. On James’ early death, at the age of 24, Archibald inherited the title.

Archibald became a barrister, and was clearly moving in influential circles. He was appointed as Solicitor General in 1784, and Attorney General in 1788, before being appointed Baron of the Court of Exchequer in 1793.

He was a member of the Pitt Administration in the 1780s, together with two other Chislehurst residents, Thomas Townshend (1st Viscount Sydney, whose home was Frognal) and Charles Pratt (1st Earl Camden, at Camden Place). Archibald was heavily involved in the detail of the French Commercial Treaty of 1786, which created huge unrest in France. He was featured in at least two of Gilray’s savage political cartoons, Anticipation, showing the struggles over the 1786 treaty, and Ancient Music, implying that the King, George III, was out of touch with the country.

Archibald married Lady Louisa Leveson-Gower, daughter of the Marquess of Stafford, in 1777, and they had three children. He had left Chislehurst by 1806 and moved to Park House Hanwell. He was created 1st Baronet Macdonald of East Sheen in 1813. He died in May 1826 aged 80.