| Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | KT |
| Office: | Ambassador from Great Britain to Russia |
| Term Start: | February 1768 |
| Term End: | 1772 |
| Predecessor: | George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney |
| Successor: | Sir Robert Gunning, 1st Baronet |
| Birth Date: | 21 March 1721 |
| Death Date: | 14 August 1776 (aged 55) |
| Citizenship: | British |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
| Spouse: | Jane Hamilton |
| Occupation: | Diplomat, soldier |
| Nickname: | Patch Cathcart |
| Allegiance: | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Branch: | British Army |
| Battles: | War of the Austrian Succession |
Lieutenant-General Charles Schaw Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart, KT (21 March 1721 – 14 August 1776) was a British soldier and diplomat. He was also chief of the Clan Cathcart.
The son of Charles Cathcart, 8th Lord Cathcart, and Marion Shaw, he was born on 21 March 1721. Opposed to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, he became an aide-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland and during the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745, was shot in the face. Joshua Reynolds' portrait (1753–55) shows the black silk patch he used to cover the scar on his cheek. This seemingly earned him the soubriquet 'Patch Cathcart'. The following year at the Battle of Culloden, again acting as ADC to Cumberland, Cathcart was once more wounded in battle.
Charles was the last Lord Cathcart to inherit the family estate of Sundrum. Upon inheriting his mother's estates in Greenock he sold Sundrum to James Murray of Broughton in 1758.[1] Through his mother he also inherited Schawpark near Sauchie at Gartmorn. The house dated from 1700. A small group of cottages on the estate were involved in the "manufacture of osnaburgs when visited by Bishop Richard Pococke in 1760.[2]
In 1763 he was created a Knight of the Order of the Thistle.
In August 1768 he arrived as the ambassador at St Petersburg and was he was well received by Catherine the Great. He served, poorly, at the Russian court until 1772.[3] On his return to Britain he was elected Rector of Glasgow University in 1773.
In 1775 he commissioned Robert Adam to remodel Schawpark, but he did not live to see completion of the works.[4]
He died on 14 August 1776.
On 24 July 1753 he married Jean Hamilton (1722–1771), daughter of Captain Lord Archibald Hamilton and Lady Jane Hamilton.[5] They had nine children:
He held the following ranks:[8]