Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Queensberry PC
Memorial to the 8th Marquess (2nd row, 2nd from left, styled 7th Marquis there) outside the Douglas Family Mausoleum, Cummertrees
Comptroller of the Household
In office 4 January 1853 – 25 July 1856
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	The Hon George Weld-Forester
Succeeded by	Viscount Castlerosse
Personal details
Born	18 April 1818
Died	6 August 1858 (aged 40)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Caroline Clayton (d. 1904)

Archibald William Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry PC (18 April 1818 – 6 August 1858), styled Viscount Drumlanrig between 1837 and 1856, was a Scottish Conservative Party politician. He notably served as Comptroller of the Household between 1853 and 1856.

Background

Douglas was the son of John Douglas, 7th Marquess of Queensberry, by Sarah Douglas, daughter of Major James Sholto Douglas. He became known by the courtesy title Viscount Drumlanrig when his father succeeded to the marquessate of Queensberry in 1837.^[1]

Cricket

He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1841.^[2]

Political career

Lord Drumlanrig was returned to parliament for Dumfriesshire in 1847.^[3] In early 1853 he was sworn of the Privy Council^[4] and appointed Comptroller of the Household under Lord Aberdeen,^[5] a post he held until 1856, during the last year under the premiership of Lord Palmerston.^[6] 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.^[3] Apart from his political career he was also Lord-Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire from 1850^[7] to 1858.^[8]

Family

Lord Queensberry married Caroline Margaret Clayton (1821–1904), daughter of General Sir William Clayton, 5th Baronet, at Gretna Green, Scotland, in 1840.^[1] They had six children:

• Lady Gertrude Georgiana Douglas (died 1893), 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.^[1]
• Lord Francis William Bouverie Douglas (1847–1865), beaten by A. W. Moore and party by a day to first ascent of the Ober Gabelhorn, 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 ^[9] in 1888,^[1] committed suicide.

Lord Queensberry died while hunting in August 1858 aged forty, officially from the explosion of his gun.^[1] However, the event was widely believed to be a suicide. The Marchioness of Queensberry died in February 1904.^[1]

References

1. thepeerage.com Archibald William Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry
2. "Player profile: Archibald William Douglas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)
4. The London Gazette: no. 21409. p. 330. 8 February 1853.
5. The London Gazette: no. 21401. p. 72. 11 January 1853.
6. The London Gazette: no. 21910. p. 2711. 5 August 1856.
7. The London Gazette: no. 21131. p. 2345. 30 August 1850.
8. The London Gazette: no. 22116. p. 1531. 23 March 1858.
9. "Lady James Douglas". Horse Racing History.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry