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William Douglas, 4th Duke Of Queensberry
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry, (16 December 172423 December 1810) was a Scottish noble landowner. He was popularly known as Old Q and was reputed as a high-stakes gambler. In 1799 he was estimated the eighth-wealthiest man (or small family unit) in Britain, owning £1M (). He is one of ten known British millionaires that year, the Royal family excluded. Family and royal appointee Born in Peebles, Queensberry was the only son of William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March, and his wife, Lady Anne Hamilton. A friend of the Prince of Wales, Douglas was appointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George III in 1760. He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 1761 and was one of the 16 Scottish representative peers for an elected term or possibly more from 1761, and was Vice Admiral of Scotland from 1767 to 1776. However, due to behavior during the king's unusual, long-lasting, mental health latter-life illness he was deprived of his office as Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 178 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
His Grace
His Grace or Her Grace is an English style used for various high-ranking personages. It was the style used to address English monarchs until Henry VIII and the Scottish monarchs up to the Act of Union of 1707, which united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England. Today, the style is used when referring to archbishops and non-royal dukes and duchesses in the United Kingdom. Examples of usage include His Grace The Duke of Norfolk; His Grace The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury; or "Your Grace" in spoken or written address. As a style of British dukes it is an abbreviation of the full formal style "The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince His Grace". Royal dukes, for example Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, are addressed with their higher royal style, Royal Highness. The Duchess of Windsor was styled "Your Grace" and not Royal Highness upon marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor. Ecclesiastical usage Christianity The style "His Grace" and "Your Grace" is used in E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maria Fagnani
Maria Emilia Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford (; 24 August 1771 – 2 March 1856), nicknamed "Mie-Mie", was a British noblewoman of Italian descent. Life Parentage Illegitimate daughter of Costanza Brusati, by marriage Marchesa Fagnani, her true paternity remained surrounded in controversy. During their long trips in northern Europe, Marchese Giacomo II Fagnani and his wife Costanza Brusati met in England Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke, an English aristocrat well-known for his amorous intrigues with Italian women. The three began to travel together, and the Earl of Pembroke began a secret affair with the Marchesa Fagnani. In the winter of 1769 Costanza Brusati (who left her husband) and the Earl of Pembroke arrived in London, where he introduced her to a friend, William Douglas, Earl of March, who was among the best-known ''bon vivants'' of the reign of King George III and was known as "Old Q" because that letter was painted on the door of his carriage. Soon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Douglas, 1st Duke Of Queensberry
William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry PC (163728 March 1695), also 3rd Earl of Queensberry and 1st Marquess of Queensberry, was a Scottish politician.G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910–1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume X, page 694. He was the son of James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Queensberry and his second wife Margaret Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair. He succeeded his father as Earl of Queensberry in 1671 and took his seat in the Parliament of Scotland on 12 June 1672. Career He was appointed a Scottish Privy Councillor in 1667, Lord Justice General from 1680 to 1682, and Lord High Treasurer of Scotland from 1682 to 1686. He was created Marquess of Queensberry on 11 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Virginians
''The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century'' (1857– 59) is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his '' Henry Esmond'' and is also loosely linked to ''Pendennis''. Plot summary The novel tells the story of Henry Esmond's twin grandsons, Virginia-born George and Henry Warrington. Henry's romantic entanglement with an older woman leads to his volunteering in the British army and fighting under the command of General Wolfe at the 1759 capture of Quebec. On the outbreak of the American War of Independence he takes the revolutionary side. George, who also becomes a British officer, eventually resigns his commission rather than continuing in arms against his brother. Critical reception Critical reception of the book was on the whole favourable, and the novel has continued to be considered one of the standard works of 19th century fiction, though many critics have held that the novel's plotting was not of the tightest. Anthony Trollope's opini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel '' The Luck of Barry Lyndon'', which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick. Biography Thackeray, an only child, was born in Calcutta, British India, where his father, Richmond Thackeray (1 September 1781 – 13 September 1815), was secretary to the Board of Revenue in the East India Company. His mother, Anne Becher (1792–1864), was the second daughter of Harriet Becher and John Harman Becher, who was also a secretary (writer) for the East India Company. His father was a grandson of Thomas Thackeray (1693–1760), headmaster of Harrow School."THACK ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Racing Silks
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100-120 lb., and physically fit. They are typically self-employed and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings. Jockeys are mainly male, though there are some well-known female jockeys too. The job has a very high risk of debilitating or life-threatening injuries. Etymology The word is by origin a diminutive of ''jock'', the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name ''John'', which is also used generically for "boy" or "fellow" (compare '' Jack'', ''Dick''), at least since 1529. A familiar instance of the use of the word as a name is in "Jockey of Norfolk" in Shakespeare's ''Richard III''. v. 3, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horseracing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity. Horse races vary widely in format, and many countries have developed their own particular traditions around the sport. Variations include restricting races to particular breeds, running over obstacles, running over different distances, running on different track surfaces, and running in different gaits. In some races, horses are assigned different weights to carry to reflect differences in ability, a process known as handicapping. While horses are sometimes raced purely for sport, a major part of horse racing's interest and economic importance is in the gambling associated with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earl Of Wemyss And March
Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created in 1697. The holder of the title is sometimes known as the Earl of Wemyss and March, but the titles are distinct. History In 1625 John Wemyss was created a Baronet, of Wemyss in the County of Fife, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. In 1628 he was raised to the Peerage of Scotland as Lord Wemyss of Elcho, and in 1633 he was further honoured when he was made Lord Elcho and Methel and Earl of Wemyss, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He later supported the Scottish parliament against Charles I, and died in 1649. He was succeeded by his son David, the second Earl. In 1672 David resigned his peerages to the Crown in return for a new patent with original precedency and extending the limitation to his daughters. Lord Wemyss had no male issue and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis Douglas, 8th Earl Of Wemyss
Francis Wemyss Charteris Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March (15 April 177228 June 1853), known as the Earl of March from 1810 to 1826 and as the Earl of Wemyss and March from 1826 to 1853, was a Scottish peer. Background Wemyss was the son of Francis Wemyss Charteris, Lord Elcho (1749–1808), and the grandson of Francis Charteris, ''de jure'' 7th Earl of Wemyss. He was educated at Eton College 1780 to 1787. In 1810 he succeeded his second cousin twice removed William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry and 3rd Earl of March to the Earldom of March, as the lineal heir male of the aforementioned Lady Anne Douglas, sister of the first Earl of March. He then assumed the surname of Douglas. Public life In 1821 he was created Baron Wemyss, of Wemyss in the County of Fife, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which entitled him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. In 1826 he obtained a reversal of the attainder of the earldom of Wemyss and became the eighth Earl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess Of Queensberry
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry, (March 1777 – 3 December 1837), known as Sir Charles Douglas, 5th Baronet between 1783 and 1810, was a Scottish peer and member of Clan Douglas. Early life Douglas was the eldest son and heir of Sir William Douglas, 4th Baronet, and his wife, Grace, ''née'' Johnstone, of Lockerbie. Among his four brothers and four sisters were John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry and Lord William Douglas, MP for Dumfries Burghs. His mother was the eldest daughter and co-heiress of William Johnstone of Lockerbie. His paternal grandparents were Sir John Douglas, 3rd Baronet of Kelhead, MP for Dumfriesshire, and the former Christian Cunningham (a daughter of Sir William Cunningham, 2nd Baronet of Caprington). Career Upon his father's death in 1783, he inherited the baronetcy of Kelhead. In 1810, he succeeded his fourth cousin once removed, William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry, as Marquess of Queensberry. Upon simultaneously inheriting K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke Of Buccleuch
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG FRSE (2 September 174611 January 1812) was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of Sir Walter Scott. He is the paternal 3rd great-grandfather of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the maternal 4th great-grandfather of Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Much of the family's lands and wealth were accumulated during Henry's tenure as Duke. He integrated the surnames "Montagu" and "Douglas" with the Scott family name to form the unhyphenated compound surname "Montagu Douglas Scott". Early life Henry Scott was the fourth child of five born to Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkeith (son of Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch), and his wife, Caroline Campbell, and the third-born and only surviving male heir. G. E. Cokayne, Vicary Gibbs, H. A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The category A listed castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. It is open to the public at set times. Construction The 'Pink Palace' of Drumlanrig, constructed between 1679 and 1689 from distinctive pink sandstone, is an example of late 17th-century Renaissance architecture. The first Duke of Queensberry, William Douglas, had the castle built on the site of an ancient Douglas stronghold overlooking the Nith Valley. The castle has 120 rooms, 17 turrets and four towers. In 1984, aerial photography revealed the outline of a substantial Roman fort some 350 yards to the southeast of Drumlanrig Castle. The fort was partially excavated in 2004 by the '' Time Team'' television programme. Art collection The castle is home to part of the Buccleuch art collection which includes Rembrandt’s '' An Old Woman Reading'', and Leonardo da Vinci's '' Mad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
