Born around 1608, John was the eldest son of Robert Middleton of Caldhame and his wife Catherine Strachan; his younger brother Alexander and nephew George both served as Principal of King's College, Aberdeen great uncle of George's son John Middleton; and great-great uncle of Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham.^[3][4]

In early life Middleton served as a soldier in France; later he fought against Charles I both in England and in Scotland, being especially prominent at the Battle of Philiphaugh and in other operations against James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.^[1]

Middleton held a high command in the Engager army which took part in the Second English Civil War and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Preston in August 1648. He joined Charles II when he arrived in Scotland in 1650 to be crowned, but fell out with the ruling Kirk Party and was compelled to do public penance at Dundee. He commanded the Royalist cavalry at the Battle of Worcester in August 1651 and was captured before escaping to Paris.^[2]

In 1653, Middleton was chosen to lead a projected Scottish rising; he reached Scotland in February 1654, but the participants were deeply divided and the revolt ended in defeat at the Battle of Dalnaspidal in July.^[5] He remained in Scotland until 1655 when he rejoined the exiled court and was created Earl of Middleton in 1656, with the subsidiary title of Lord Clermont and Fettercairn.^[1] He was made colonel of a Scottish infantry regiment in the Royalist Army in Exile, although actual command was exercised by Lord Newburgh.^[6]

Following the Stuart Restoration in May 1660, Middleton was appointed commander-in-chief of the troops in Scotland and Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, which he opened in January 1661. His extreme Royalism led to a political struggle with the Earl of Lauderdale and in 1663 he was deprived of his offices.^[2] He then served as Lieutenant-General of the Kent militia and Governor of Rochester Castle from 1663 until 1668, before being appointed governor of English Tangier in 1670, acquired when Charles married Catherine of Braganza. He died there on 3 July 1674 of injuries sustained by falling down the stairs after a drinking bout.^[7]

John Middleton married (contract July 1639), Grizel Durham, who died in September 1666. They had five children together:

• Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton (1649/1650–1719), married Lady Catherine Brudenell, daughter of Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan, and Ann Savage, had children.
• Lady Grizel Middleton, married William Douglas, 9th Earl of Morton. One child who died in infancy.
• Lady Helen Middleton, married Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. They had eight children.
• Two daughters, names not known, who both died in 1669 unmarried and without issue.

Middleton's second wife was Lady Martha Carey (1635/6–1706), married 16 December 1667 at St. Andrew's, Holborn, daughter of Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth and his wife Martha Cranfield. They had two children:

• John Middleton (1668–1696). Died unmarried without issue.
• Lady Elizabeth Middleton (1672–1748), married William Spelman. They had one child who died young.

• Cromwell's Act of Grace

• Furgol, Edward M. (2004). "Middleton, John, first earl of Middleton (c.1608–1674)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18674. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Royle, Trevor (2004). Civil War: The War of the Three Kingdoms 1638-1660. Brown, Little. ISBN 978-0316861250.
• Thomson, Oliver (2018). Zealots: How a Group of Scottish Conspirators Unleashed Half a Century of War in Britain. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445677958.

"Middleton, John (1619-1674)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.