John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess Of Bute

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, KT, FRS (10 August 1793 – 18 March 1848), was a Scottish aristocrat and industrialist during the Georgian and early Victorian periods in Britain. He was born at Dumfries House, Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents were John Stuart, Lord Mount Stuart, and Lady Elizabeth McDouall-Crichton. His father died in a riding accident shortly after his birth, and his mother died later that year, leaving him in the care of his paternal grandfather, John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute. Bute’s early childhood included travel across England and Europe with his grandfather.

In 1809, Bute entered Christ's College, Cambridge. During his youth, he traveled extensively in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, and Russia. He developed an eye condition during this period, which resulted in partial blindness, affecting his ability to read and travel without assistance. Following the deaths of his maternal grandfather Lord Dumfries in 1803 and his paternal grandfather in 1814, Bute inherited significant estates from both sides, adding Crichton to his surname.

He held multiple hereditary titles, including Marquess of Bute, Earl of Windsor, Viscount Mountjoy, along with numerous other peerages, such as Baron Mount Stuart, Earl of Dumfries and Bute, and Lord Crichton of Sanquhar and Cumnock. His roles included Keeper of Rothsay Castle, Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of Glamorgan, hereditary Sheriff and Coroner of Buteshire, and High Steward of Banbury.

Bute maintained four primary residences: Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire, and Cardiff Castle in South Wales; he also possessed a London townhouse, Bute House, in Kensington. He preferred residing at Mount Stuart House and spent much of his later life there, away from London and Cardiff, due in part to his impaired vision and personal preferences.

In 1818, Bute married Lady Maria North, a wealthy heiress and daughter of the 3rd Earl of Guilford. The marriage was childless, and Maria died in 1841. Bute's personality was considered dour and reserved, partly due to his health and solitary lifestyle. He was involved in philanthropy, notably supporting local schools and churches in Wales, and was politically conservative, aligning with the Duke of Wellington. He rarely participated in national debates unless directly concerned with his commercial interests.

Bute recognized the economic potential of South Wales coalfields and aimed to develop them through working arrangements with local ironmasters and collieries. He constructed Cardiff Docks, a major infrastructural project that facilitated the export of iron and coal, increasing the value of his landholdings. During the Merthyr Rising of 1831, Bute led the government response from Cardiff Castle, deploying military forces and maintaining communication with authorities in Whitehall.

In 1843, Bute was made a Knight of the Thistle by Queen Victoria. That year, he sustained further injury to his eyes after falling from a horse. He remarried in 1845 to Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings, daughter of the Marquess of Hastings. The couple had one surviving child, John, born in 1847, after a stillbirth earlier that year.

His relationship with his brother Patrick Stuart was often strained, notably differing over political views and inheritance issues. Bute’s management of his estates was detailed and proactive, despite his limited eyesight and occasional health setbacks. He was a prominent figure in the development of Cardiff and the surrounding Welsh industrial region, earning the reputation as "the creator of modern Cardiff". He died in 1848, leaving significant wealth to his son.