George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton
Encyclopedia
Major-General George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton KT
(1635 – 20 March 1692) was a Scottish nobleman, and soldier.
and his second wife Lady Mary Gordon daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
, Douglas was the younger brother of the William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk. Douglas was probably born at Douglas Castle
. He is first mentioned in a safeconduct datted 1647 giving him permission to go to France
.
and Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus
as colonel of the Régiment de Douglas, then in the service of Louis XIV
. The regiment returned to Britain in 1666 On 30 June 1667, Samuel Pepys
met the Lord George in Rochester and mentions seeing his Regiment, by then known as "Dumbarton's Regiment" (later the Royal Scots), and notes it his diary.
When the regiment was recalled to France, the officers presented a petition to the King to use his influence on the French King not to use them for any service distasteful to them. The regiment returned to Crown service finally in 1669 serving in the English Army, and was fully incorporated by 1678. In 1675 in recognition of Lord George 's effort in the recent Third Anglo-Dutch War
, Charles II created Lord George, Earl of Dumbarton and Lord Douglas of Ettrick, a titular dignity there was no entail of land in Scotland with the creation..
On the accession of James VII of Scotland, he made Dumbarton Commander of the Armed Forces in Scotland, and granted him the escheat
of the forfeited estates of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun. When King James 'revived' the Order of the Thistle
, Dumbarton was installed as one of the founder knights, along with his nephew James Douglas-Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton.
King James was deposed in the so-called Glorious Revolution
, and Dumbarton accompanied the King to his court in exile in France. George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton died at St Germain-en-Laye, and was buried at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
, amongst other members of his family.
. They had one son:
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
(1635 – 20 March 1692) was a Scottish nobleman, and soldier.
Early Life
The son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and 11th Earl of Angus was a Scottish nobleman.-Master of Angus:William Douglas, Master of Angus was the eldest son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus and his Countess, Elizabeth Oliphant, eldest daughter of Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant...
and his second wife Lady Mary Gordon daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...
, Douglas was the younger brother of the William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk. Douglas was probably born at 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...
. He is first mentioned in a safeconduct datted 1647 giving him permission to go to France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
.
Career
In 1653, he succeeded his half-brothers Lord James DouglasLord James Douglas
Lord James Douglas was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.He was born at Douglas Castle, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, the son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas, and his wife Margaret Hamilton, a daughter of Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley....
and Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas from whom he inherited the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in the DNBIE and Paton in the much more recent ODNB, spell the name Earl of Ormond...
as colonel of the Régiment de Douglas, then in the service of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. The regiment returned to Britain in 1666 On 30 June 1667, Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
met the Lord George in Rochester and mentions seeing his Regiment, by then known as "Dumbarton's Regiment" (later the Royal Scots), and notes it his diary.
When the regiment was recalled to France, the officers presented a petition to the King to use his influence on the French King not to use them for any service distasteful to them. The regiment returned to Crown service finally in 1669 serving in the English Army, and was fully incorporated by 1678. In 1675 in recognition of Lord George 's effort in the recent Third Anglo-Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
, Charles II created Lord George, Earl of Dumbarton and Lord Douglas of Ettrick, a titular dignity there was no entail of land in Scotland with the creation..
On the accession of James VII of Scotland, he made Dumbarton Commander of the Armed Forces in Scotland, and granted him the escheat
Escheat
Escheat is a common law doctrine which transfers the property of a person who dies without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in limbo without recognised ownership...
of the forfeited estates of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun. When King James 'revived' the Order of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, Dumbarton was installed as one of the founder knights, along with his nephew James Douglas-Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton.
King James was deposed in the so-called Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
, and Dumbarton accompanied the King to his court in exile in France. George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton died at St Germain-en-Laye, and was buried at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, just beyond the outskirts of early medieval Paris, was the burial place of Merovingian kings of Neustria...
, amongst other members of his family.
Marriage and Issue
He married Anne, daughter of George Wheatley and a sister of the Duchess of NorthumberlandGeorge FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
Lieutenant-General George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG, PC was the third and youngest illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mother Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine...
. They had one son:
- George Douglas, 2nd Earl of DumbartonGeorge Douglas, 2nd Earl of DumbartonGeorge Douglas, 2nd Earl of Dumbarton was a Scottish Nobleman and soldier.-Life:The Son of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton and Anne Wheatley, Dumbarton was styled Lord Ettrick , from birth until his father's death in 1692.Growing up at the court in exile of James VII and II, Dumbarton was...
.
Sources
- Balfour Paul, Sir JamesJames Balfour PaulSir James Balfour Paul, KCVO was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926....
. Scots Peerage Vol I. Edinburgh 1907 - Fraser, Sir William FraserWilliam Fraser (historian)Sir William Fraser, KCB, was a solicitor and notable expert in ancient Scottish history, palaeography, and genealogy....
. The Douglas Book IV Vols. Edinburgh 1885. - Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas. London 1902