John Drummond was the younger son of James Drummond, fifth earl and second titular Duke of Perth, and Lady Jane Gordon, daughter of George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon. He was the grandson of James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, who was stripped of his titles for taking part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715. John Drummond was brought up by his mother at Drummond Castle till his father"s death in 1720, when his mother took him and his elder brother James to France.
However, the 4th Earl was created Duke of Perth by James Edward Stuart, the "Old Pretender", in the Jacobite Peerage. The Drummonds continued to claim both titles, though they were never recognised by the de facto British government. This step gave great offence to the boy"s kinsmen and to the Scottish Jacobites, who feared that it might entail a confiscation of the estates, and would be held up to odium by the whigs.
He was educated at Douai, showed decided military tastes, and passed through several grades in the French Army.
He then raised the Royal Scotch regiment, and was sent in December 1745 with this and other reinforcements to Scotland to support the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He called upon six thousand Dutch soldiers to withdraw, as having capitulated in Flanders and promised not to serve against France.
Hessians had to be sent for to take their place. His tardiness in joining Charles Edward Stuart is not easy to explain, for he was repeatedly urged to hasten his movements, but his march was perhaps through a hostile country, and the firths were watched by English cruisers.
He came up just before the battle of Falkirk, and mainly contributed to its success, taking several prisoners with his own hand, having a horse killed under him, and receiving a musket-shot in the right arm.
On the siege of Stirling being raised he covered the rear. At Culloden he was posted in the centre, and prevented the retreat from becoming a rout. He died, without issue, at the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom on 28 September 1747.
He died at Paris on 6 February 1760, being the last male descendant of the first duke.
