John St. Leger Douglas
John St. Leger Douglas (Died 23 May 1783) was an 18th century
politician, a member of the House of Commons of Great Britain.
He was Member of Parliament for Hindon from 1769, at a time when
bribery was the norm in this constituency, til 1774, and Member of
Parliament for Weobley 1774 - 23 May 1783, when he died.
He was succeeded in Weobly by John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon PC KC
FRS FSA (4 June 1751 – 13 January 1838) was a British barrister and
politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain between
1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827.
A grandson of Col Walter Douglas of
Baads, Governor of the Leeward Islands, and the son of John St.
Leger Douglas, a West Indian plantation owner, and his wife
Susannah, daughter of Michael Lambert, Lieutenant-Governor of Saint
Kitts, and brother of Sir James Douglas bart., slave-owner on St
Kitts. In his only recorded speech in the House of Commons, he
supported the Government against the interests of the West Indies
even after the outbreak of war against America in 1775, declaring
that he too 'had a considerable estate in the West Indies'.
He lived at Springfield Place:
The estate belonging to Springfield Place is not very considerable;
formerly it Springfield belonged to Ruke Church, and afterwards to
the Bridges and the Capels; to these [PlacB.?] succeeded Mr. Samuel Fryar, of London; it was afterwards possessed by Mr. Robert Witham,
lord of the manor of Kewton, who rebuilt the house, which is an
exceedingly good one, and stands near the east end of the church. It
was purchased next by John Strutt, Esq. who sold it to John St.
Leger Douglas, Esq. who laid out the adjoining grounds with elegance
and taste, and rendered it a commodious and handsome country
residence.
He may have owned racehorses:-
SIRE: (Old) Snap - Snip - Flying Childers - DARLEY ARABIAN. Darley
Arabian Sire Line
DAM: Mare by Blank - mare by Regulus (Nettles'
dam) - mare by Lonsdale Bay Arabian - Bonny Lass by Bay Bolton -
mare by Darley Arabian - mare by Byerley Turk - mare by Taffolet
Barb - mare by Place's White Turk mare - Tregonwell Natural Barb
mare (Family 1)
Bay 1764. Bred by John St. Leger Douglas of
Essex and sold as a 3 year old to Jenison Shafto. Unbeaten in three
seasons of racing at Newmarket, though lightly raced. His wins
included the Ascot Stakes in 1768, the Gold Cup in an 1800 guineas
sweep at the 1769 October Newmarket meeting, and a half-dozen other
races, beating the top horses of his time. In 1770 he broke down
during a training run in October. He retired to Shafto's stud, but
was sold in the fall of 1771 for 1,350 guineas, to Sir Charles
Sedley and was placed in service at his stud near Notthingham. When
Sedley died, Goldfinder was sold again and stood at Coxe's Farm near
Mitchem, Surrey. He got some good racehorses and broodmares,
including the dam of Torrent (by Herod), the dam of John Bull (by
Boston), the dam of Coiner (Saltram) and Miss Coiner (Don Quixote),
and Manilla, the dam of Dexter, Nettle and Flycatcher. He also got
sons Molecatcher and Goldfinder(1), the latter imported into the U.S.
He died in 1789 at the age of 25
His wife, Caroline, (late Caroline Otway) appears to have had
interests in Montserrat.
They may have had a son, also John St Leger Douglas:-
John St Leger Douglas Gent to be ensign vice William Faucitt in 3rd
regiment of Footguards
Pelham, Gent, to be Ensign vice John St
Leger Douglas, deceased 11 Jul 1775
There were 5 children:
1. Charlotte; Married Admiral John
Leigh Douglas
2. Agnes;
3. Mary;
4. John, the eldest son
and heir, (above?) and
5. William.
John St. Leger Douglas of Pall Mall, co. Middlesex, Esq.
Will dated 7 Dec. 1779. (559 Cornwallis.) All my plantations
real & personal estate to my brother
Lt Col. James Douglas & Alex' Douglas of Devonshire
Sq., on trust. My dau. Mary Willett £6000. My dau. Charlotte
£6000 at 21. Alex' Douglas £100. My said brother James £1000.
Geo. Gavillear £100 & £20 a year for his services. Trustees to
hold all my plantations in the Island of S' Christopher's for my
son W" Douglas, remainder to my daus. ; in the latter event
£4000 to my brother James.
Trustees to be
Ex'ors. Witnessed by Edward Wilmot, Richard Wiles, Mark Clay.
Notes:
1.
Thomas Douglas of Grantham bred the St Leger winner Serina (b f
1778 Goldfinder)
2.
James George Douglas, John's brother, for a time acted as agent
for the interests of St. Kitts in England
3. On 4th January, 1739, John Douglas granted a Deed of
Gift to his brother, James George Douglas. The gift consisted of
seven negroes in trust for his children, who were all infants.
James George Douglas was the agent in this country for the
island of St. Kitts until 1752.
Sources
Sources for this article include:
• History of Parliament
online
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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