Archibald James Edward Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas
Encyclopedia
Archibald James Edward Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas (10 July 1748 - 26 December 1827), was a Scottish politician.
. The circumstances of the birth were controversial. Lady Jane Douglas was the sister of the wealthy Duke of Douglas
. As he was childless, his estate would pass to the next in line, the Duke of Hamilton
, unless an heir could be found. Lady Jane was 47 when she married the 60-year-old Colonel Sir John Stewart, a man described by her brother, the Duke of Douglas, as a 'wore-out old rake'. In the summer of 1748 in Paris, by which time she was 50, Lady Jane gave birth to twin boys - Archibald and Sholto.
and has family, have benefited ever since.
from 1782 to 1790 and Lord Lieutenant of Forfarshire from 1794 to 1827. In parliament he was a loyal follower of Henry Dundas
and William Pitt
, and hoped to be rewarded with a peerage. Although he would have preferred an earldom, he was created Baron Douglas, of Douglas in the County of Lanark, in 1790.
Lord Douglas was an improving landlord who continued the rebuilding of Douglas Castle
begun by his uncle. However the 1772 collapse of the Ayr bank of Douglas, Heron & Co. was a blow to his financial position. In 1795, he raised the Angusshire Regiment of Fencible Infantry, who served in Ireland and Dumfries, where they were on duty at the funeral of Robert Burns
in 1796.
Sholto and Lady Jane both died in 1753.
, and secondly (1783) Lady Frances Scott (1750-1817), sister of the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
. He had nine children (five sons and four daughters, most of whom reached old age). Douglas died on 26 December 1827 at Bothwell Castle
, Lanarkshire. He was buried in Douglas parish church in the same county. He was succeeded by his sons Archibald (1773-1844) as 2nd Baron Douglas of Douglas, Charles (1775-1848) as 3rd Baron and Rev. James (1787-1857) as 4th Baron, on whose death, the Barony of Douglas of Douglas became extinct.
Birth
He was born Archibald James Edward Stewart, in Paris, the twin son of Sir John Stewart, 3rd Baronet (1687–1764) and Lady Jane Douglas (1698–1753), daughter of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of DouglasJames Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas
James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and 1st Earl of Ormonde, and Lady Anne Stuart....
. The circumstances of the birth were controversial. Lady Jane Douglas was the sister of the wealthy Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was a Scottish nobleman.He was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, by his second marriage...
. As he was childless, his estate would pass to the next in line, the Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
, unless an heir could be found. Lady Jane was 47 when she married the 60-year-old Colonel Sir John Stewart, a man described by her brother, the Duke of Douglas, as a 'wore-out old rake'. In the summer of 1748 in Paris, by which time she was 50, Lady Jane gave birth to twin boys - Archibald and Sholto.
Court cases
There followed a series of court cases, which became known as the Douglas Cause or Douglas Case. In 1767 Archibald lost a much publicised court case concerning the rights to the Douglas estates. His opponents, the Duke of Hamilton, Sir Hew Dalrymple, and others, claimed that Stewart was not the son of Lady Jane Douglas, and thus was not the rightful heir to the Douglas estates. In February 1769 the House of Lords reversed the decision. Central to the case was whether Lady Jane was still able to have children and at the trials, intimate evidence of her menstrual status was presented by servants. However, witnesses were produced by the Hamiltons who claimed to have noticed nothing about Lady Jane's appearance to indicate that she was pregnant. Hamilton lawyers also found two French couples who both said they had sold babies to a mysterious foreign couple about the time the 'twins' were born. Douglas lawyers countered by providing evidence of a male midwife said to have delivered Lady Jane’s babies. Archibald Douglas, was able to inherit and his descendents, who included British Minister Alec Douglas-HomeAlec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
and has family, have benefited ever since.
Political career
Douglas was MP for ForfarshireForfar (UK Parliament constituency)
Forfarshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of Great Britain of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1800, and then in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until 1950....
from 1782 to 1790 and Lord Lieutenant of Forfarshire from 1794 to 1827. In parliament he was a loyal follower of Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
and William Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, and hoped to be rewarded with a peerage. Although he would have preferred an earldom, he was created Baron Douglas, of Douglas in the County of Lanark, in 1790.
Lord Douglas was an improving landlord who continued the rebuilding of Douglas Castle
Douglas Castle
Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large mansion house was built in its place. This too was demolished in 1938, and today...
begun by his uncle. However the 1772 collapse of the Ayr bank of Douglas, Heron & Co. was a blow to his financial position. In 1795, he raised the Angusshire Regiment of Fencible Infantry, who served in Ireland and Dumfries, where they were on duty at the funeral of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
in 1796.
Sholto and Lady Jane both died in 1753.
Family
Lord Douglas married first (1771) Lady Lucy Graham (1751-1780), daughter of the 2nd Duke of MontroseWilliam Graham, 2nd Duke of Montrose
William Graham, 2nd Duke of Montrose was the son of James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose and his wife, Christian Carnegie. He married Lucy Manners, daughter of John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland on 28 October 1742. He died at age 78 at Twickenham, London, England....
, and secondly (1783) Lady Frances Scott (1750-1817), sister of the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG KT FRSE was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of the notable Sir Walter Scott...
. He had nine children (five sons and four daughters, most of whom reached old age). Douglas died on 26 December 1827 at Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...
, Lanarkshire. He was buried in Douglas parish church in the same county. He was succeeded by his sons Archibald (1773-1844) as 2nd Baron Douglas of Douglas, Charles (1775-1848) as 3rd Baron and Rev. James (1787-1857) as 4th Baron, on whose death, the Barony of Douglas of Douglas became extinct.