1876-1963

‘Jock’ Milne Home succeeded Morden Carthew-Yorstoun in 1907 as the Duke of Buccleuch’s chamberlain (household manager) and factor (land agent). His responsibilities included looking after the Duke’s Eskdale and Liddesdale estate.

Some of the Milnes in his ancestry were well known in various fields, particularly naval. The Home name, distantly connected to the Earls of Home, was adopted in connection with inheritance.

John’s relatives included:

• Grandfather David Milne (1805-1890): geologist and founder of the Scottish Meteorological Society; he added his wife’s maiden name Home to his own.
• Grandmother Jean Home (1811-1876): inherited her father William Foreman Home’s estates of Wedderburn Castle and Paxton House in Berwickshire.
• Great-grandfather William Foreman Home (1782-1852): a Berwick-Upon-Tweed solicitor; William Foreman added the surname Home upon an inheritance from second cousin George Home.
• Great-uncle Alexander Milne (1806-1896): Admiral of the Fleet in 1881.
• Cousin Berkeley Milne (1855-1938): Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in 1912-1914.

In the same year that John became Buccleuch’s chamberlain, he married Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, daughter of an army lieutenant colonel. Her uncle was the 4th Earl of Minto (1845-1914), former Viceroy of India and Governor General of Canada.

In 1915, Mary’s cousin Eileen Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound married Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, youngest son of the 6th Duke of Buccleuch (see 11th February in the Diary), making the Milne Homes part of the Buccleuch extended family.

John Milne Home’s responsibilities included rent collection from Langholm and nearby parishes:

His other roles included:

• Langholm District Committee, Dumfriesshire Council: chairman.
• Langholm Parish Council, Landward (i.e. rural) Committee: chairman.
• Eskdale Infectious Diseases Hospital: president.
• Canonbie School Board: chairman.
• Canonbie and District Farmers’ Association: president.

During the war, his wife Mary was Eskdale president of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association.

Milne Home was knighted in 1935.

Below is a photo of him presenting a prize at a Langholm cattle show in 1949.