Earls of Middleton, Lords of Clermont and of Fettercairn

John Middleton, First Earl of Middleton. 1 2 7
the affairs of Tangiers with Pepys, expressed his
disapproval of Lord Middleton's appointment. " He
said that he was ashamed of the place, to put the
king to this charge for no good in the world ; and
now a man going over that is a good soldier, but a
debauched man, which the place needs not to have ;
and so used these words : ' That this place was to
the king, as my Lord Carnarvon x says of wood — that
it is an excrescence of the earth, provided by God
for the payment of debts.' "
In December of this year Middleton was married
a second time, at St. Andrew's, Holborn, to Lady
Martha Cary, daughter and co-heiress of Henry, Earl
of Monmouth. She had issue one son, John, who
died the last day of February, 1696, and was buried
in Worcester Cathedral. 2
Pepys met Lord Middleton, December 31st, at a
committee for Tangiers. He thought him, on that
occasion, " but a dull, heavy man, although a stout
soldier, and feared that he would still keep that poor
garrison from ever coming to be worth anything to
the king." Probably he had been drinking, for
Pepys had a better opinion of his mental qualities
after a longer acquaintance.
May 6th, 1668, a charter was granted to " the Earl
1 Charles Dormer, second Earl of Carnarvon.
2 His epitaph in Worcester Cathedral.