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Index of first names

Representative peers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representative peers are nobles who formed a uniquely Scottish institution, dating from the Treaty of Union of 1707 when Scotland's peers elected 16 of their number to sit in the Lords. In recognition of this, the group were entitled to use the post-nominal "RP" – until their offices were abolished in the Peerage Act of 1963

Representative peers were elected from the Peerage of Scotland to sit in the House of Lords after the Acts of Union 1707 abolished the Parliament of Scotland, where, as a unicameral legislature, all Scottish Peers had been entitled to sit.

From 1707 to 1963 there were sixteen Scottish representative peers, all elected from among the peerage of Scotland to sit for one parliament. After each dissolution of parliament, a new election of representative peers from Scotland took place, although the Irish representative peers held their seats in parliament for life.

Under the Peerage Act 1963 which came into effect in August that year, all Scottish peers were given seats in the House of Lords as of right, thus after that date no further Scottish representative peers were needed.

 

    Elected   Ceased
James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry   13 February 1707   15 April 1708
James Douglas, 4th Duke of Hamilton   17 June 1708   15 November 1712
Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk    8 October 1713   5 January 1715
Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk   21 April 1722    13 March 1739
George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton   17 November 1730   4 January 1738
James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton   12 May 1739   12 October 1768
William Douglas, 3rd Earl of March   5 May 1761   14 February 1787
George Douglas, 16th Earl of Morton   8 May 1784   11 June 1790
Dunbar Douglas, 4th Earl of Selkirk   28 March 1787   11 June 1790
Dunbar Douglas, 4th Earl of Selkirk   10 June 1793    20 May 1796
Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk    4 December 1806   10 June 1818
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry   13 November 1812   3 December 1832
George Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton   10 April 1828   31 March 1858
Dunbar Douglas, 6th Earl of Selkirk   3 June 1831   11 April 1885
Sholto Douglas, 18th Earl of Morton   10 May 1859   24 December 1884
John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry   7 March 1872    24 March 1880
Sholto Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton   25 March 1886   8 October 1935
Francis Douglas, 11th Marquess of Queensberry   16 November 1922   10 May 1929
George Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk   6 July 1945   31 July 1963


 

 

 

 

 

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Last modified: Monday, 25 March 2024