View source for John St Leger Douglas

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
[[File:Springfield Place, Springfield, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 132627.jpg|thumb|Springfield Place, Chelmsford, Essex]]
'''John St. Leger Douglas''' ({{circa|1732}} – 23 May 1783) was an 18th-century member of the [[House of Commons of Great Britain]]. He owned Springfield Place, near [[Chelmsford]], Essex.

==Early life and education==
Douglas was the eldest son of John St. Leger Douglas, a West Indian plantation owner, and his wife, Susannah, daughter of Michael Lambert, Deputy-[[Governor of St Kitts]]. He was a grandson of [[Walter Douglas (governor)|Col. Walter Douglas of Baads]], Midlothian, [[Governor of the Leeward Islands]].  He was educated at [[Westminster School]] (1743), aged 10, and at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] (1748).<ref name = HoP>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/douglas-john-st-leger-1732-83|title=Douglas, John St. Leger (c.1732-83), of Springfield Place, nr. Chelmsford, Essex, History of Parliament Online|accessdate=11 November 2017}}</ref> He succeeded his father in 1747.

==Career==
He was [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)|Hindon]] from 1769, at a time when bribery was the norm in this constituency, until 1774, and Member of Parliament for [[Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)|Weobley]] 1774 – 23 May 1783, when he died.<ref name= HoP/> 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'.<ref>The House of Commons: 1660-1690; Stanley T. Bindoff, et al.</ref>

He bought Springfield Place in Chelmsford and improved the grounds. He bred racehorses, including the undefeated thoroughbred [[Goldfinder (horse)|Goldfinder]].

==Family==
Douglas was twice married, having children by both wives. His daughter Charlotte married her cousin Admiral John Leigh Douglas (1741–1810).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/heraldryofdougla00john#page/93/mode/1up/|title=The heraldry of the Douglases : with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees|last=Johnston|first=George Harvey|year=1907|work=[[Internet Archive]]|publisher=W. & A. K. Johnston|page=93|accessdate=12 November 2017|location=Edinburgh; London}}</ref>

On his death in 1783 he left his estates in St Kitts in trust for his son William Douglas and his other properties and personal estate on trust to his brother Lieutenant-colonel James Douglas to provide cash amounts for his other children on their majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/john_stleger_douglas.htm#.WrjnkzMh2cM|title=John St. Leger Douglas|publisher=The Douglas Archives|accessdate= 26 March 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|gb}}
{{s-bef
 | before  = [[Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton|Simon Luttrell]]
 | before2 = [[Bamber Gascoyne (the elder)|Bamber Gascoyne]]
}}
{{s-title
 | title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)|Weobley]]
 | years [[1774 British general election|1774]]– 1783
 | with  =  [[William Lynch (diplomat)|William Lynch]] 1774–1780
| with2 = [[Sir Andrew Bayntun-Rolt, 2nd Baronet|Andrew Bayntun-Rolt]]  1780–1783
}}
{{s-aft
 | after  = [[Sir Andrew Bayntun-Rolt, 2nd Baronet|Andrew Bayntun-Rolt]]
 | after2 = [[John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon|(Sir) John Scott]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, John St. Leger}}
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:1720s births]]
[[Category:1783 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Westminster School, London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies]]
[[Category:British MPs 1768–1774]]
[[Category:British MPs 1774–1780]]
[[Category:British MPs 1780–1784]]


{{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub}}