James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton KT PRS (1702 – 12 October 1768) was a Scottish astronomer and representative peer who was President of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its foundation in 1737 until his death.[1] He also became President of the Royal Society (24 March 1764), and was a distinguished patron of science, and particularly of astronomy.
James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, portrait with his family by Jeremiah Davison, 1740
He graduated MA from King's College, Cambridge in 1722.[2][3] In 1746 he visited France, and was imprisoned in the Bastille, probably as a Jacobite.[4]
See also
- Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia was named after Lord Morton by Captain Cook (the spelling being an error in the published account of Cook's voyage)
References
- ↑ Emerson, Roger L. (1985). "The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1768–1783". The British Journal for the History of Science. Cambridge University Press. 18 (3): 255. doi:10.1017/s0007087400022391.
- ↑ Anita Guerrini, 'Douglas, James, fourteenth earl of Morton (1702–1768)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2008. So also the original DNB
- ↑ "Douglas, James (DGLS720J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ↑
"Douglas, James (1702-1768)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
| Masonic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl of Kintore |
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland 1739 – 1740 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne |
| Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England 1741 – 1742 |
Succeeded by The Lord Ward | |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Alexander Hume Campbell |
Lord Clerk Register 1760 – 1768 |
Succeeded by Lord Frederick Campbell |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by George Douglas |
 Earl of Morton 1738 – 1768 |
Succeeded by Sholto Douglas |
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