442 DOUGLAS being opposed by the Duke of Hamilton (the h. male) on the ground of his being a supposititious son of his mother,(^) the Court of Session, in July 1767, decided (by the casting vote of Lord President Dundas in a Court of 15) against him, but this decision was two years later reversed, 27 Feb. 1769, by the House of Lords. He was M.P. (Tory) for co. Forfar, i782-90,() when, on 8 July 1790, he was cr. BARON DOUGLAS OF DOUGLAS, CO. Lanark. Lord Lieut, of co. Forfar 1 794-1 827. He m., I stly, 1 3 June 1 77 1 , at St. Geo., Han. Sq., Lucy, da. of William (Graham), 2nd Duke of Montrose [S.], by Lucy, da. of John (Manners), 2nd Duke OF Rutland. She, who was b.2%}iy I75i,in London, 12'. 13 Feb. 1780, at Bothwell Castle, aged 28. C') Hew., 2ndly, 13 May 1783, at her brother's house, Grosvenor Sq., Midx. (St. Geo., Han. Sq.), Frances,() sister of Henry, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch [S.], da. of Francis Scott, styled Earl of Dalkeith, by Caroline, da. and coh. of John (Campbell), 2nd Duke of Argyll [S.]. She, who was b. (posthumous) 26 July 1750, <i'. May 1817. Will pr. 1 8 1 8. He d. 26 Dec. 1827, in his 80th year, at Bothwell Castle.(') Will pr. Apr. 1828. He and both his wives were bur. at Douglas, co. Lanark. (^) Lady Jane Douglas was b. at Douglas, 17 Mar. 1698; m. (as his and wife), 4 Aug. 1746, Col. John Stewart (afterwards, i Nov. 1759, a Baronet), and d. at Edinburgh, 22 Nov. 1753. She is said to have had twin sons in her 51st year, b. 10 July 1748, of whom the yr., Sholto Thomas Stewart, d. at Edinburgh 14 May 1753, in his 5th year; while the elder sue. to the Douglas estates as in the text. It is remarked by Sir Bernard Burke that "many doubts had existed from the time of his birth as to its genuineness," the Duke of Douglas himself being among those who considered the children to have been "stolen or bought." Sir Bernard adds that "when the question is now considered after the lapse of a century, apart from personal feeling and party bias, it seems impossible to reconcile the contradictory assertions con- nected with the strange story of Mr. Douglas' birth, or to resist the strong appearance of imposture." See a very full account of this interesting case in Sir Bernard Burke's Romance of the Aristocracy, vol. i, pp. 248-261, as also in his Vicissitudes, from which latter the above quotations are taken. G.E.C. " There is now no doubt that Lady Jane had no children. Lord Mansfield was the man who influenced his fellow-judges in the Lords in favour of the French boys being pronounced to be Lady Jane's, thus reversing the judgment of the Court at Edinburgh." {Intimate Society Letters of the 18th Century, edit, by the Duke of Argyll, 1 910, vol. i, p. 98). V.G. (•>) He supported the North-Fox Coalition in 1783, but afterwards came over to Pitt, whom he supported on the Regency Bill. V.G. Objection was taken (but was overruled) to his election on the ground of his being a Scottish Peer, as entitled to the Earldom of Angus. See as to his claim to that dignity, vol. i, p. 161, note " c," sub Angus. (=) See Wood's Doug/as, sub Montrose, vol. i, p. 246, note, for an interesting account of her and her pursuits. C^) Sir Walter Scott, who was a close friend of hers, says that she was very talented and witty, yet was quite without vanity, and of perfect good nature. V.G. (') A good portrait of him, " the swarthy boy stranger," by Gainsborough, repre- sents him " in a red coat, cane in hand, of dark complexion, and 2:ood-natured face." V.G.
