 He was born about 1714.While on foreign travel he made the acquaintance of Horace Walpole, who, in a letter to Henry Seymour Conway on 23 April 1740, wrote of him, "There are few young people have so good an understanding," but referred to his 'solemn Scotchery' as not a 'little formidable'.Before succeeding his father in 1764, he was known as Lord Deskford.