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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.

The Right Honourable The Earl of Morton PRS
Portrait of Douglas with his family by Jeremiah Davison, 1740
16th President of the Royal Society
In office 1764–1768
Preceded by	George Parker
Succeeded by	James Burrow
Personal details
Born	1702 (1702) Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Died	12 October 1768(1768-10-12) (aged 65–66)

He was born in Edinburgh as the son of George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton and his second wife Frances Adderley. 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] He had a long lasting tendency to protest the actions of the British government.

Family

He was twice married: firstly to Agatha, daughter of James Halyburton of Pitcur, Forfarshire, by whom he was the father of three sons, two of whom died young, and three daughters. The second son, Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of Morton, succeeded him. Secondly, on 31 July 1755, at St James's Church, Piccadilly, he married Bridget, daughter of Sir John Heathcote, Bt., of Normanton,[5] who bore him a son, John (b. 4 July 1756),[6] and a daughter, Bridget (b. 3 May 1758).[7] His wife, Bridget, outlived him by thirty-seven years.

Legacy

Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia, was named after Lord Morton by Lieutenant James Cook (the spelling being an error in the published account of Cook's voyage in HMS Endeavour). Lord Morton had been influential in obtaining a grant of £4,000 to finance the voyage.[8] Cook had been instructed by the earl to regard the native populations of the places he might visit as "human creatures, the work of the same omnipotent Author, equally under his care with the most polished European ... No European nation has the right to occupy any part of their country ... without their voluntary consent“.[9]

In popular media

Actor Brian Cox was cast as Lord Morton in the TV series, Longitude in 2000.[10]

References

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
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by George Parker	16th President of the Royal Society 1764–1768	Succeeded by James Burrow

На других языках

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- [en] James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton

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[ru] Дуглас, Джеймс, 14-й граф Мортон

Джеймс Дуглас, 14-й граф Мортон (англ. James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, 1702 — 12 октября 1768) — шотландский астроном и политический деятель.

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