Military Wiki
Military Wiki
The Right Honourable
The Earl of Morton
FRS
James Douglas Davison
Portrait of Douglas with his family by Jeremiah Davison, 1740
16th President of the Royal Society

In office
1764–1768
Preceded by George Parker
Succeeded by James Burrow
Personal details
Born 1702 (1702)
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Died 12 October 1768(1768-10-12) (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day)

James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, KT, FRS (1702 – 12 October 1768) was a Scottish peer and astronomer who was president of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its foundation in 1737 until his death in 1768.[1] He also became president of the Royal Society on 24 March 1764, and was a distinguished patron of science, and particularly of astronomy.

He was born in Edinburgh as the son of George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton and his second wife Frances Adderley. He graduated MA from King's College, Cambridge, in 1722.[2][3] In 1746 he visited France, and was imprisoned in the Bastille, probably as a Jacobite.[4] He had a long lasting tendency to protest against the actions of the British government.

Family[]

He was twice married: firstly to Agatha, daughter of James Halyburton of Pitcur, Forfarshire, by whom he was the father of three sons, two of whom died young, and three daughters. The second son, Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of Morton, succeeded him. Secondly, on 31 July 1755, at St James's Church, Piccadilly, he married Bridget, daughter of Sir John Heathcote, Bt., of Normanton,[5] who bore him a son, John (b. 4 July 1756),[6] and a daughter, Bridget (b. 3 May 1758).[7] His wife, Bridget, outlived him by thirty-seven years.

Legacy[]

Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia, was named after Lord Morton by Lieutenant James Cook (the spelling being an error in the published account of Cook's voyage in HMS Endeavour). Lord Morton had been influential in obtaining a grant of £4,000 to finance the voyage.[8] With regards the native populations of the places he might visit, Cook was instructed by the Earl, with what are now called his "Hints":

"To check the petulance of the Sailors, and restrain the wanton use of Fire Arms.

To have it still in view that sheding the blood of those people is a crime of the highest nature – They are human creatures, the work of the same omnipotent Author, equally under his care with the most polished European perhaps being less offensive; more entitled to his favor.

They are the natural, and in the strictest sense of the word, the legal possessors of the several Regions they inhabit.

No European nation has the right to occupy any part of their country, or settle among them without their voluntary consent. Conquest over such people can give no just title: because they could never be the Aggressors."[9][10]

In popular media[]

Actor Brian Cox was cast as Lord Morton in the TV series, Longitude in 2000.[11]

References[]

  1. Emerson, Roger L. (1985). "The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1768–1783". Cambridge University Press. pp. 255–303. Digital object identifier:10.1017/s0007087400022391. PMID 11620799. 
  2. Anita Guerrini, 'Douglas, James, fourteenth earl of Morton (1702–1768)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2008. So also the original DNB
  3. "Douglas, James (DGLS720J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. http://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?sur=&suro=c&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&tex=%22DGLS720J%22&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50. 
  4. Wikisource-logo "Douglas, James (1702-1768)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 
  5. The Register of Marriages solemnized in the Parish Church of St James within the Liberty of Westminster & County of Middlesex. 1754–1765. 31 July 1755.
  6. The Register of Births & Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster Vol. IV. 1741–1760. 22 July 1756.
  7. The Register of Births & Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster Vol. IV. 1741–1760. 29 May 1758.
  8. Template:Cite QPN
  9. King, Michael: The Penguin History of New Zealand, location 1237/6839 Kindle edition, Penguin Books 2003.
  10. "Hints offered to the consideration of Captain Cook" (in en). https://www.nla.gov.au/digital-classroom/senior-secondary/cook-and-pacific/indigenous-responses-cook-and-his-voyage/hints. 
  11. [Film%20Longitude%20(1999).htm "Longitude © (1999)"]. http://movie-dude.com/[Film]%20Longitude%20(1999).htm. 
Masonic offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Kintore
Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Scotland

1739–1740
Succeeded by
The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Grand Master of the
Premier Grand Lodge of England

1741–1742
Succeeded by
The Lord Ward
Political offices
Preceded by
Alexander Hume Campbell
Lord Clerk Register
1760–1768
Succeeded by
Lord Frederick Campbell
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by
George Douglas
Arms of the House Douglas of Morton
Earl of Morton

1738–1768
Succeeded by
Sholto Douglas
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by
George Parker
President of the Royal Society
1764–1768
Succeeded by
James Burrow
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton and the edit history here.