Hugh Rose was born the posthumous son of Hugh Rose of Broadley and Brea and his cousin, Elizabeth Rose, 19th Baroness of Kilravock.[2] He was born three months after his father's death. Although he had an elder half-brother, James Rose, from his father's previous marriage, he was the heir to Kilravock Castle and the Chiefdom of Clan Rose through his mother.[3]
Initially, this inheritance was contested by his half-brother's guardian, who argued that James Rose was the rightful heir, as their father, Hugh Rose, was the paternal grandson of Hugh Rose, 15th of Kilravock, and thus the next male heir to Hugh Rose, 18th of Kilravock. However, in 1787, the House of Lords ruled in favor of Elizabeth Rose, securing her son Hugh's claim.[4] Elizabeth Rose wrote to a friend about her struggle:
I have ... fought for this old Highland castle, in which I now remain the solitary descendant of a long line of ancestors, devoting my time and powers to preserve, if possible, a remnant of their ample possessions for their infant representative; and, in the meantime, I will endeavour to give him such an education as may form him to be independent of my struggle, should it prove ultimately unsuccessful. - Rose, Hugh; Lachlan Shaw[4]
Military
Hugh Rose joined the Inverness Militia in 1802 as a major and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel.[1] In 1806, he was also appointed Commandant and colonel of the Nairn Voluntary Infantry.[1][2]
Political career
On 28 October 1812, Hugh Rose was elected as the Member of Parliament for Nairnshire.[5][1] This followed in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, Hugh Rose, 15th of Kilravock, who had represented Nairnshire in the first Parliament of Great Britain in 1707.[6] However, Rose's time as an MP was short; he served only until 25 June 1813, when he resigned due to illness.[1] To facilitate his resignation, Rose was appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds on 29 June 1813. This position, created in the 16th century, allowed MPs to resign, as holding another Crown office was the only legal means to do so.[7][8] Additionally, Rose was appointed Vice-Lieutenant of Nairnshire.[2]
Family
On 5 October 1805, Hugh Rose married Katherine Baillie, daughter of John Baillie of Dunain. Together, they had three sons and four daughters:[2]
^R. Thorne, ed. (1986). "Nairnshire". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820 – via The History of Parliament Online.
^D. Hayton; E. Cruickshanks; S. Handley, eds. (2002). "ROSE, Hugh I (1663-1732), of Kilravock, Nairn". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715 – via History of Parliament Online.
^House Of Commons, Great Britain. Parliament (1878). Parliamentary papers. Vol. 62, Part 2.
