George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton facts for kids

Portrait of George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton by John Smibert

George Douglas, 13th Earl of Morton (1662 – 4 January 1738) was an important Scottish nobleman, soldier, and politician. He was known as The Honourable George Douglas for many years. He served in the House of Commons, which is part of the British Parliament, from 1708 until 1730. After that, he became an Earl.

Early Life and Military Career

George Douglas was born in 1662. He was a younger son of James Douglas, 10th Earl of Morton. His mother was Anne, daughter of Sir James Hay.

George chose a career as a soldier. He served in different Scottish army groups. In 1707, a big change happened in Great Britain. England and Scotland joined together to form one country. Because of this, many soldiers, including George, lost their jobs.

Serving in Parliament

George Douglas became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1708. An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the country's government. He represented a place called Lanark Burghs. He was elected again without anyone running against him in 1710.

Representing Different Areas

In 1713, George was elected to represent Orkney and Shetland. These are islands north of Scotland. He was elected for Lanark Burghs again in 1715. This time, no one ran against him either.

However, in the 1722 election, he lost the vote in Lanark Burghs. But he was also running for Orkney at the same time. He won the Orkney seat without any opposition. He was elected for Orkney again in 1727.

Becoming an Earl and Peer

In 1730, George's older brother passed away. This meant George became the 13th Earl of Morton. He then left his seat in the House of Commons. As an Earl, he became a Scottish Representative Peer. This meant he represented Scotland's noble families in the House of Lords. He held this important position until he died.

George also served as the Vice-Admiral of Scotland. This was a high-ranking naval position. He held this role from 1733 until his death in 1738.

Family Life

Lord Morton was married to Frances Adderley. They had a son named James. When George died in January 1738, James became the 14th Earl of Morton.