William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry
His Grace The Duke of Queensberry | |
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The Duke of Queensberry by John Opie | |
Born |
16 December 1724 Peebles |
Died |
23 December 1810 (aged 86) London |
Occupation | Scottish duke |
Children | Maria Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford |
Parent(s) |
William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March Lady Anne Hamilton |
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry KT (16 December 1724 – 23 December 1810) was a Scottish nobleman. He was popularly known as Old Q, and was famous for being a great gambler.[1]
Born in Peebles, Queensberry was the only son of William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March, and his wife, Lady Anne Hamilton.
He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 1761 and was a Scottish representative peer from 1761. He was Vice Admiral of Scotland from 1767 to 1776. He was Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries from 1794 until 1810.
He succeeded his father in the Earldom of March in 1731 and his mother in the Earldom of Ruglen in 1748. He succeeded his cousin Charles as Duke of Queensberry in 1778, and was created Baron Douglas of Amesbury in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1786.
A friend of the Prince of Wales, he was appointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George III in 1760.
Queensberry never married, though he had a daughter, Maria "Mie-Mie" Fagnani, by a mistress, the Marchesa Fagnani.[2] In 1798, she became the wife of the 3rd Marquess of Hertford; Queensberry left much of his fortune to Maria Hertford.[2]
On his death, the Dukedom of Queensberry and Drumlanrig Castle passed to his second cousin once removed, the third Duke of Buccleuch. The Marquessate of Queensberry passed to his fourth cousin once removed (and also third once removed) Sir Charles Douglas, 5th Bt, whose descendant is the current titleholder. His second cousin twice removed Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss became Earl of Wemyss and March. The Earldom of Ruglen became extinct.
He had horseracing interests and his racing silks were deep red with a black cap. [3]
He left £10,000 to Lady Anne Hamilton who was a Lady in Waiting to Caroline of Brunswick.[4]
As "Lord March", he is portrayed in the William Makepeace Thackeray novel The Virginians as a dissolute gambler.[1]
He was interred at St James's Church, Piccadilly on 31 December 1810.[5]
Ancestry
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References
- 1 2 Sharpe, Graham (2015). "Marching to glory with a balls up. Newmarket 1750". Gambling’s Strangest Moments. Pavilion Books. ISBN 9781910232491.
- 1 2 François-René de Chateaubriand, Béatrix d' Andlau, Pierre Riberette, Correspondance générale: Volume 5 (Gallimard, 1986), page 540
- ↑ Weatherby, Edward and James (1801). "COLOURS WORN BY THE RIDERS OF THE FOLLOWING NOBLEMEN, GENTLEMEN, &c". Racing Calendar. 28: 52.
- ↑
Hamilton, Anne (DNB00). Wikisource. - ↑ Robinson, John Robert (1895). 'Old Q': A Memoir of William Douglas, Fourth Duke of Queensberry, K.T., One of 'the Fathers of the Turf,' with a Full Account of His Celebrated Matches and Wagers, Etc (2nd ed.). London: Samson Low, Marston and Company, Limited. p. 249. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
External links
- Queensberry in St James's, London
- Portrait by Opie in National Portrait Gallery
- Caricature by James Gillray in National Portrait Gallery
- Article in the Burns Encyclopedia
- Pedigree at Genealogics
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by John Carmichael |
Vice-Admiral of Scotland 1767–1776 |
Succeeded by John Campbell |
Honorary titles | ||
New office | Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries 1794–1797 |
Succeeded by Earl of Dalkeith |
Peerage of Scotland | ||
Preceded by Charles Douglas |
Duke of Queensberry 1778–1810 |
Succeeded by Henry Scott |
Marquess of Queensberry 1778–1810 |
Succeeded by Charles Douglas | |
Preceded by William Douglas |
Earl of March 1731–1810 |
Succeeded by Francis Douglas |
Preceded by Anne Hamilton |
Earl of Ruglen 1748–1810 |
Extinct |