JAMES DOUGLAS

james douglas, 2nd marquess of douglas (1646-1700), succeeded his grandfather in 1660. his eldest son, john, by courtesy earl of angus, raised a regiment of 1200 men, first known as the angus regiment, later as the cameronians (26th foot). he was killed at its head at steinkirk in 1692. the younger son, archibald, 3rd marquess (1694-1761), was created duke of douglas in 1703, but the dukedom became extinct on his death, without heirs, in 1761. he was a consistent supporter of the hanoverian cause, and fought at sheriffmuir. the heir-presumptive to the douglas estates was his sister, lady jane douglas (1698-1753), who in 1746 secretly married colonel, afterwards sir, john steuart of grandtully, by whom she had twin sons, born in paris in 1748. these children were alleged to be spurious, and when lady jane and the younger of the two boys died in 1753, the duke refused to acknowledge the survivor as his nephew; but in 1760 he was induced, under the influence of his wife, to revoke a will devising the estates to the hamiltons in favour of lady jane's son, archibald james edward steuart (1748-1827), 1st baron douglas of douglas (cr. 1790) in the british peerage. the inheritance of the estates was disputed by the hamiltons, representing the male line, but the house of lords decided in favour of douglas in 1769. three of his sons succeeded archibald douglas as baron douglas, but as they left no male issue the title passed to the earls of home, cospatrick alexander, 11th earl of home, having married a granddaughter of archibald, 1st baron douglas. their descendants, the earls of home, represent the main line of douglas on the female side. authorities.--david hume of godscroft (1560?-1630), who was secretary to archibald douglas, 8th earl of angus, wrote a _history of the house and race of douglas and angus_, printed under his daughter's superintendence (edinburgh, 1644). he was a partial historian, and his account can only be accepted with caution. modern authorities are sir william fraser, _the douglas book_ (4 vols., edinburgh, 1885), and sir h. maxwell, _history of the house of douglas_ (2 vols., 1902). see also g. e. c.[okayne]'s _peerage_, and douglas's _scots peerage_; _calendar of state papers_, _scottish series_, _the hamilton papers_, &c. footnotes: [1] a descendant of a younger son of the original william de douglas. [2] on the murder of the knight of liddesdale, his lands, with the exception of liddesdale and the hermitage forfeited to the crown and then secured by his nephew, fell to his nephew, sir james douglas of dalkeith and aberdour (d. 1420), whose great-grandson james douglas, 3rd lord dalkeith (d. 1504), became earl of morton in 1458 on his marriage with lady joan stewart, third daughter of james i. his grandson, the 3rd earl, left daughters only, of whom the eldest, margaret, married james hamilton, earl of arran, regent of scotland, ancestor of the dukes of hamilton; elizabeth married in 1543 james douglas, who became by this marriage 4th earl of morton. [3] transferred to the british service in 1669 and eventually known as the royal scots regiment.