Neil Primrose, 3rd Earl Of Rosebery

Neil Primrose, 3rd Earl of Rosebery, KT, was born in 1728 in Dalmeny, West Lothian, Scotland. He was the younger son of James Primrose, 2nd Earl of Rosebery, and Mary Campbell. His siblings included Lady Dorothea Primrose, who was married to Sir Adam Inglis, 3rd Baronet; Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny, who died young; and John Primrose, Lord Dalmeny, who died unmarried in August 1755.

His paternal grandparents were Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery, and Dorothea Cressy, daughter of Everingham Cressy. His maternal grandparents were Hon. John Campbell, a son of the 9th Earl of Argyll, and Lady Mary Stuart, daughter of the 4th Earl of Moray. His maternal lineage also included Elizabeth Elphinstone, daughter of the 8th Lord Elphinstone.

The extended family relationships involved notable figures such as John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll; Charles Campbell, Member of Parliament for Argyllshire; William Campbell, MP for Glasgow; and Primrose Campbell, wife of Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat. His father experienced financial difficulties, having been imprisoned for riot and debt, which diminished his inheritance and led to the entailed estates being placed in trustees’ management.

Professionally, Neil Primrose was initially a merchant in London. Upon his father's death on 26 November 1755, he inherited the titles of 3rd Earl of Rosebery, 3rd Viscount of Rosebery, 3rd Viscount of Inverkeithing, 3rd Lord Primrose and Dalmeny, and the 7th Baronet Primrose of Carrington. After inheriting the peerages, he undertook an 18-month Grand Tour visiting Rome and Venice, where he spent considerable time with architect Robert Adam, whom he had known earlier.

Following his return, Primrose aimed to restore his estate financially, restructuring its farming practices and planting trees. He served as a Scottish Representative peer in 1768, 1774, and 1780. He was invested as a Knight of the Order of the Thistle on 4 March 1771.

In personal life, Neil Primrose married twice. His first marriage was on 19 May 1764 to Susan Ward, daughter of Sir Edward Ward, 5th Baronet. She died without issue on 20 August 1771, leaving him her Norfolk estate. His second marriage was on 17 July 1775 to Mary Vincent, daughter of Sir Francis Vincent, 7th Baronet, and Mary Howard. They resided at Barnbougle Castle and had five children.

Among his children were Lady Charlotte Primrose (c. 1776–1864), who married General Kenneth Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham; Lady Mary Primrose (1777–1847), who married Henry John Shepherd; Lady Dorothea Arabella Primrose (1779–1825), who married William Hervey of Bodwell Hall; Archibald John Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery (1783–1868), who married twice; and Hon. Francis Ward Primrose (1785–1860), who married Percy Gore.

Neil Primrose died on 25 March 1814 at Dalmeny. His widow died on 9 March 1823. His eldest son, Archibald, succeeded him as the 4th Earl of Rosebery. His grandson, Archibald John Primrose, Lord Dalmeny, predeceased the 4th Earl, leading to the earldom passing directly to Neil Primrose’s great-grandson, Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894 to 1895.