Henry Scott was the fourth child of five born to Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkeith and his wife, Caroline Campbell, and the third-born and only surviving male heir. He was baptised on 29 September 1746 at St. George's Church, St George Street, Hanover Square, London, England. His father, Francis Scott died of smallpox at the age of 29, just one year before the death of Henry's grandfather, the 2nd Duke of Buccleuch. It was young Henry who succeeded his grandfather as Duke of Buccleuch on 22 April 1751, at the age of just four. Educated at Eton College, through his stepfather Charles Townshend, Henry was given the opportunity to travel abroad with Adam Smith as his tutor from 1764 to 1766. The Duke remained lifelong friends with Smith and is credited with bringing him out of his shell.
When Sir John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu died on 5 July 1749, his estate had been entailed to his daughter, Lady Mary Montagu, who was married to Sir George Brudenell, the 4th Earl of Cardigan. The Montagu peerages, like most English peerages, were limited to heirs male, and became extinct with the 2nd Duke. However, within ten days after Montagu's death, Cardigan adopted the Montagu name and coat of arms for both himself and his two children, in order that the Montagu name should continue. Seventeen years later, in 1766, King George III created him Duke of Montagu and Marquess of Monthermer. The first Duke of the 1766 creation died 23 May 1790—also survived only by a daughter, Elizabeth, now Duchess of Buccleuch. Once again the Montagu peerages became extinct. Elizabeth inherited only the unentailed Montagu assets, which included Boughton House in Weekley, Northamptonshire. Like his father-in-law, Buccleuch wished to perpetuate the Montagu name, and adopted the unhyphenated surname Montagu Scott.
The Douglas line
never married; when he died on 23 December 1810, his peerages and entailments passed to his 2nd cousin once removed, Sir Henry Montagu Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, through Sir Henry's grandmother, Lady Jane Douglas, Queensberry's first cousin once removed. Buccleuch then added the surname to his own, forming the unhyphenated surname Montagu Douglas Scott which the family bears to this day.
Career
Buccleuch was Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland from 1777 to 1812. He was joint founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and its first President, serving from 1783 until death 1812. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Haddington from 1794 to 1812, and Lord-Lieutenant of Midlothian from 1794 to 1812. In 1778, he raised successfully a regiment of Fencibles. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire on 9 May 1803.
Death
Buccleuch died at Dalkeith Palace, Midlothian, Scotland, on 11 January 1812, aged 65. He was buried in the family crypt of the Buccleuch Memorial Chapel in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Dalkeith, Midlothian. The church is located on High Street in Dalkeith, at the entrance to Dalkeith Country Park.
Titles, honours and awards
31 January 174831 March 1750: Lord Eskdaill
1 April 175021 April 1751: Earl of Dalkeith
22 April 175122 December 1810:His Grace The Duke of Buccleuch
