Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, 2nd Duke of Dover, (24 November 169822 October 1778) was a Scottish nobleman, extensive landowner,

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are current or former ...

and

Vice Admiral of Scotland Lord High Admiral of Scotland was the name of one of the Great Officers of State of the Kingdom of Scotland before the Union with England in 1707. The office was one of considerable power, also known as ''Royal Scottish Admiralty'', including ...

Life

Charles was born in Queensberry House in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

on 24 November 1698, the younger son of

James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover (18 December 16626 July 1711) was a Scottish nobleman and a leading politician of the late 17th and the early 18th centuries. As Lord High Commissioner he was instrumental in negoti ...

, 1st Duke of Dover, and his wife Mary Boyle, daughter of

Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan, 3rd Baron Clifford, FRS ( bapt. 12 December 1639 – 12 October 1694), was an English peer and politician. He was a member of a famous Anglo-Irish aristocratic family. Early life Charles Boyle was the ...

, On 17 June 1706, while still a child, Charles was created in his own right Lord Douglas of Lockerbie, Dalveen and Thornhill, Viscount of Tiberris and Earl of Solway. In 1711, he succeeded his father as Duke of Queensberry, superseding his mentally ill older brother James Douglas. This happened because, in view of James being insane, the crown had granted a

novodamus ''Novodamus'' is a genus of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of ...

which excluded him from the succession to the Dukedom, but left James the Scottish Marquessate of the same name ( Queensberry). In any case, the insane James died in 1715, at which point the Duke inherited the Marquessate as well, becoming 4th Marquess of Queensberry. In 1728, Queensberry (as he was now known) took up the cause of

John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1728), a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peach ...

, a friend of his wife, after Gay was refused a licence for his opera ''

Polly Polly is a given name, most often feminine, which originated as a variant of Molly (name), Molly (a diminutive of Mary (name), Mary). Polly may also be a short form of names such as Polina (given name), Polina, Polona (given name), Polona, Pauline ...

. ''He quarreled with George II and resigned his appointments in the same year. In 1746, the Duke of Queensberry invested in the British Linen Company as one of the original proprietors, hoping to aid the development of the Scottish economy through the manufacturing of

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

to be sold to the American colonies and Caribbean plantations. In 1762, after the death of

Archibald Campbell Archibald Campbell may refer to: Peerage * Archibald Campbell of Lochawe (died before 1394), Scottish peer * Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (died 1513), Lord Chancellor of Scotland * Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll (c. 1507–1558) ...

, 3rd Duke of Argyll, Queensberry became the Governor of the company until 1776. The period was one of turmoil and restructuring, as the directors of the company decided to stop manufacturing linen from factories owned in the Highlands and turn to financing independent manufacturers to continue their trade. It was an important moment in the history of Scottish finance and the future of the company. He was a founding governor of London's

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital (formally the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children) was a children's home in London, England, founded in 1739 by the philanthropy, philanthropic Captain (nautical), sea captain ...

, created in 1739. He was appointed

Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland The keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba'') is one of the great officers of state in Scotland held concurrently with the post of first minister of Scotland. The office holder is the keeper ...

in 1761 and was

Lord Justice General Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

from 1763 until his death in 1778. Queensberry was one of many who had lost heavily from the failure of the Douglas Heron and Co Bank in 1776. As his sons predeceased him, leaving him without heirs, his English titles, including the dukedom of Dover, became extinct, but the Queensberry title passed to his cousin, William Douglas.

Family

On 10 March 1720 he married Lady Catherine Hyde, a daughter of

Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon and 2nd Earl of Rochester, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (June 1672 – 10 December 1753), styled Lord Hyde from 1682 to 1711, was an English Army officer and Tory politician who sat in the English House of ...

. They had two sons, who both predeceased him: *

Henry Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig Henry Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig (30 October 1722 – 19 October 1754) was the eldest son of Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, 2nd Duke of Dover, and his wife Catherine. He was educated at Winchester College and at Christ Church, Univer ...

(1722–1754) * Charles Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig (1726–1756)

References

External links

* 1698 births 1778 deaths Nobility from Edinburgh Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain

103 103 may refer to: *103 (number), the number *AD 103, a year in the 2nd century AD *103 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 103 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron, a territorial regiment * 103 (Newcastle) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers * 103 ...

Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, 2nd Duke of Dover, (24 November 169822 October 1778) was a Scottish nobleman, extensive landowner, Privy Council of Great Britain, Privy Counsellor and Vice Admiral of Scotland. Life Charles was born ...

Keepers of the Great Seal of Scotland Lords Justice-General Fellows of the Royal Society Marquesses of Queensberry Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England 2 Peers of Scotland created by Queen Anne {{Scotland-duke-stub