Catherine, however, took into her service another man from Scotland, and raised him to high honour in connection with her Ordnance. This was Sir Charles Gascoigne (his father was Captain Woodroffe Gascoigne, an Englishman sent to settle the Highlands of Scotland after 1746, and his mother was the Hon. Grizel Elphinstone, daughter; of Lord Elphinstone). He had been manager of the Carron Iron Company, which had become embarrassed. Then, luckily for himself, he received, through the medium and influence of Admiral Greig, an offer from the Empress to cast shells, guns and shot for her army. Taking his workmen with him, he stole off fronji Scotland and went to Russia, where he formed a factory at Petrozo-vodsk, near Lake Ojiega, and also managed the mines of Olonetz. He flourished there (as did his successor Wilson, who was given the rank of General, and Charles Baird, who manufactured guns at Kronstadt and became a Knight of St. Vladimir, who both went out with him); was made a Councillor and a Knight of St Vladimir; and died, leaving a large fortune, at St Petersburg, ist August, 1806. He had three daughters by his first wife, who were Anne, Countess of Haddington; Elizabeth, wife of George Augustus Pollen, Esquire, M.P., drowned at jMemel in 1808; and another, who married Baron Polterazki, and died at Petrozovodsk, nth December, 1795.
His second wife, married in 1797, who, to the charms of youth and beauty, unites the most elegant accomplishments and "manners," was Anastasia-Jessye, daughter of Dr. Matthew Guthrie (one of the Guthries of Hawkerton), a doctor from Edinburgh, Physician to the Noble Land Cadet Corps, and afterwards to the Emperor Paul, having gained the ear of the Russian Court.

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