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 . On the death of the Duke of Douglas (1761), the tutors appointed by his uncle at once had Douglas served heir to the estates. But the services were disputed by the heir male of the family, the Duke of Hamilton, though without success. Failing to obtain reduction of these services, the Duke of Hamilton raised the question of the birth of Douglas, alleging that he was a spurious child [see ]. The ‘Douglas cause,’ originated in the court of session in 1762, occupied the Scottish law lords for five years, when on 15 July 1767 the court was equally divided in opinion, and the casting vote of the lord president (Dundas) was given against Douglas. The formal decreet of the court embodying the judgment is contained in ten folio manuscript volumes, comprising in all 9,676 pages. The judgment of the court of session was so unpopular that the president's life was threatened. Douglas appealed against it to the House of Lords, and obtained its reversal in February 1769, when he was declared to be the true son of Lady Jane Douglas and the rightful heir to the Douglas estates. This decision was the signal for great rejoicings and tumultuous uproar, especially in Edinburgh, where a mob collected, demanded a general illumination in honour of the event, and, shouting ‘Douglas for ever!’ proceeded to wreak vengeance on the houses of those lords of session who had given an adverse vote in the case. The lord president and lord justice clerk (Miller) were specially singled out; most of their windows were broken, and attempts were made to break into their houses. Similar attentions were paid to the houses of the Duke of Hamilton's friends and of any who refused to illuminate. This was continued for two nights, and the military had to be called out.

When settled in the Douglas estates Douglas did much to improve them, and he continued the building of Douglas Castle, commenced by his uncle, but preferred Dothwell Castle as his residence. He was lord-lieutenant of Forfarshire, and sat in parliament for that county. In 1700 he was created a British peer, with the title of Lord Douglas of Douglas. He married, first, in 1771, Lady Lucy Graham, daughter of William, second duke of Montrose, who died on 13 Feb. 1780; and secondly, on 13 May 1783, Lady Frances Scott, sister of Henry, third duke of Buccleuch, who died in May 1817. By his two wives he had eight sons and four daughters. Four of his sons predeceased him, and of the other four three inherited his title in succession, but of the whole eight none left issue. Of the four daughters, who all married, only one left issue, the Hon. Jane Margaret. She married Henry, lord Montagu, second son of Henry, third duke of Buccleuch. Douglas died on 26 Dec. 1827. Lady Montagu succeeded as heiress to the Douglas estates in 1837. The eldest of her four daughters succeeded on her death, and married Cospatrick Alexander Home, eleventh earl of Home, who in 1875 was created a baron of the United Kingdom by the title of Lord Douglas of Douglas. Their eldest son, Charles Alexander Douglas Home, the present Earl of Home and Lord Douglas, now enjoys possession of the Douglas estates.



DOUGLAS, BRICE (d. 1222), bishop of Moray. [See .]

DOUGLAS, CHARLES, third, and second (1698–1778), third son of the second duke by his wife, Mary Boyle, the fourth daughter of Charles, lord Clifford, was born at Edinburgh 24 Nov. 1698. By patent dated at Windsor, 17 June 1706, he was created Earl of Solway. Viscount Tibberis, and Lord Douglas of Lockerbie, Dalveen, and Thornhill. On coming of age he applied to the lord chancellor through the Duke of Bedford for a writ of summons to parliament, having succeeded to his father's honours in July 1711. His right to sit being questioned, he renounced his patent of Earl of Solway, and sent a petition to the king, who referred it to the House of Lords. Counsel were heard on both sides, and finally the house determined that the Duke of Dover had no right to a writ of summons. On 10 March 1720 the duke married Lady Catherine Hyde, second daughter of Henry, earl of Clarendon and Rochester. He was appointed a privy councillor and a lord of the bedchamber by George I, and vice-admiral of Scotland by George II. In 1728 the duke and duchess warmly took up the cause of John Gay when a license for the production of his opera ‘Polly’ was refused. A quarrel followed with George II, and the duke [for Gay's subsequent intimacy, see ] threw up his appointments, as he had intended to do in any case, in consequence of a disagreement with the ministers. He attached himself to the Prince of Wales, and became one of the lords of his bedchamber.

On the accession of George III Queensberry regained his place as a privy councillor, and was appointed Keeper of the great seal of Scotland. On 16 April 1763 he was made lord-justice-general, and held the office till his death, which occurred 22 Oct. 1778. The