James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, KT, FRS (1702 – 12 October 1768) was a Scottish peer and astronomer who was president of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its foundation in 1737 until his death in 1768. He also became president of the Royal Society on 24 March 1764, and was a distinguished patron of science, and particularly of astronomy.
The Right Honourable The Earl of Morton | |
|---|---|
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 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Died | 12 October 1768 (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. In 1746 he visited France, and was imprisoned in the Bastille, probably as a Jacobite. He had a long lasting tendency to protest against the actions of the British government.
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