James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton
Appearance
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.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/James_Douglas_Davison.jpg/220px-James_Douglas_Davison.jpg)
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. 18 (3). Cambridge University Press: 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.
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
Categories:
- Use dmy dates from November 2012
- 1702 births
- 1768 deaths
- Earls of Morton
- Knights of the Thistle
- Presidents of the Royal Society
- Scottish representative peers
- Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
- Members of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh
- Members of the French Academy of Sciences
- Scottish astronomers
- Jacobites
- Scottish politician stubs
- Scottish scientist stubs
- Peerage of Scotland stubs