Archibald William Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry PC (18 April 1818 – 6 August 1858), styled Viscount Drumlanrig between 1837 and 1856, was a British Conservative Party politician. He notably served as

Comptroller of the Household The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the British royal household, nominally the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department after the Treasurer of the Household. The Comptroller was an ''ex officio'' member of t ...

between 1853 and 1856.

Background

Douglas was the son of

John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry (1779 – 19 December 1856), styled Lord John Douglas from May to December 1837, was a Scottish Whig politician. Early life Queensberry was the son of Sir William Douglas, 4th Baronet (died 16 May 178 ...

, by Sarah Douglas, daughter of Major James Sholto Douglas. He became known by the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

Viscount Drumlanrig when his father succeeded to the marquessate of Queensberry in 1837.thepeerage.com Archibald William Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry
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Cricket

He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1841.

Political career

Lord Drumlanrig was returned to parliament for Dumfriesshire in 1847. In early 1853 he was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

and appointed

under Lord Aberdeen, a post he held until 1856, during the last year under the premiership of Lord Palmerston. In 1856 he also succeeded his father in the marquessate. However, as this was a Scottish peerage, it did not entitle him to a seat in the House of Lords. He stood down from the House of Commons in early 1857. Apart from his political career he was also Lord-Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire from 1850 to 1858.

Family

Lord Queensberry married Caroline Margaret Clayton (1821–1904), daughter of General Sir William Clayton, 5th Baronet, at Gretna Green, Scotland, in 1840. They had six children: * Lady Gertrude Georgina Douglas (died 1893), a writer, who married Thomas Stock. * John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry (1844–1900), the man behind the Marquess of Queensberry rules that formed the basis of modern boxing, and, much later, the downfall of author and playwright

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

. * Lord Francis William Bouverie Douglas (1847–1865), beaten by A. W. Moore and party by a day to first ascent of the

Ober Gabelhorn The Ober Gabelhorn (4063 m) is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland, located between Zermatt and Zinal. Geography The Ober Gabelhorn lies in the Swiss canton of Valais at the southern end of the Zinal valley (part of the Val d'Annivie ...

, killed a week later in the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn. * Reverend Lord Archibald Edward Douglas (1850–1938). * Lady Florence Caroline Douglas (1855–1905) (twin), war correspondent, travel writer, and feminist. * Lord James Edward Sholto Douglas (1855–1891) (twin), married racehorse breeder Martha Lucy Hennessy in 1888. James committed suicide in 1891 by cutting his throat with a razor in a London hotel.

Death

Lord Queensberry died while hunting in August 1858 aged forty, officially from the explosion of his gun. However, the event was widely believed to be a suicide. The Marchioness of Queensberry died in February 1904. He is buried in the family burial ground at Gooley Hill, near Kinmount House.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Queensberry, Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of 1818 births 1858 deaths Lord-Lieutenants of Dumfries Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Drumlanrig, Archibald Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig, Archibald Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig, Archibald Douglas, Viscount UK MPs who inherited peerages Scottish cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Marquesses of Queensberry Drumlanrig