Robert Douglas (politician)
Robert Douglas (* around 1703; † April 30, 1745 ) was a Scottish politician and officer.
Life
Douglas was born into the noble family of Douglas around 1703 to George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton and his second wife Frances . Like his father, Robert Douglas embarked on a military career. In 1721 he joined the army and in 1732 held the rank of lieutenant colonel . In 1740 he was promoted to colonel . At the Austrian War of Succession Douglas took in Flanders part. So he escorted the French General Armand Fouquet de Belle-Isle after his capture to England. Douglas fell ahead of the Battle of Fontenoy in Flanders. Upon receiving news of Douglas' death, Belle-Isle offered condolences and highlighted his correct behavior. Douglas remained unmarried and died without offspring.
Political career
Like his father and uncle Alexander before , Robert Douglas applied for the House of Commons mandate of the Orkney and Shetland constituency in 1730 . He won the vote, inheriting his father, who was elected as a representative peer in the House of Lords and as a result had to resign from his lower house mandate. He held the mandate until his death in 1745. He was succeeded by James Halyburton .
In 1735 Douglas drew his father's displeasure after voting against Parliament's strategy. In a dialogue, Robert invoked a decision of conscience, but offered to stay away from Parliament until the end of the process. After he did not comply with his father's emphatic wish to conform to his father's policy in the future, the two fell apart and did not speak to each other until his father's death.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Information on Robert Douglas
- ^ Colonel Robert Douglas on thepeerage.com , accessed August 20, 2015.
- ↑ Information on George Douglas
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Douglas, Robert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish politician, member of the House of Commons and officer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1703 |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 30, 1745 |