Lady Jane Douglas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lady Jane Douglas
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detail of painting by Allan Ramsay
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| Born | 17 March 1698 |
| Died | 21 November 1753 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
Lady Jane Douglas (born March 17, 1698 – died November 21, 1753) was a Scottish noblewoman. She became famous for a long and expensive court case about her family's inheritance. Lady Jane secretly married and had twin sons when she was 50 years old. These children were very important because they would inherit a lot of money and property. However, people questioned if the twins were truly her biological children. This led to a huge legal battle, known as the Douglas Cause, which lasted for many years, even after her death.
Early Life and Family
Lady Jane Douglas was born on March 17, 1698. Her father was James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas. She was the only sister of Archibald Douglas, who later became the first Duke of Douglas. Her family was very important in Scotland.
When Lady Jane was 22, she almost married Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch. However, Catherine Douglas, Duchess of Queensberry arranged for him to marry another Lady Jane Douglas instead. This other Lady Jane was the Duchess's sister-in-law.
Lady Jane Douglas was very independent. Even though several important noblemen wanted to marry her, she said no to their proposals. She lived with financial support from her brother. She later began a relationship with Colonel John Stewart of Grantully, who did not have much money. She had previously said she did not want to be married. However, she and the Colonel secretly married in 1746 at Drumsheugh. Her brother did not know about their marriage.
The Douglas Cause: A Famous Court Case
In 1748, Lady Jane announced that she was married and expecting a baby. She and her husband moved to Paris, France. There, she gave birth to twin sons. However, some people doubted if these children were truly hers. They suspected that the children might have been adopted or bought from other mothers in Paris. This was a very serious accusation because one of these children was set to inherit the vast Douglas family fortune.
The Hamilton family, who were the next in line to inherit the wealth, hired lawyers to investigate the birth of the twins in Paris. They wanted to prove that Lady Jane's sons were not her biological children.
Lady Jane Douglas and one of her twin sons, Sholto Stewart, died in Edinburgh in 1753.
The legal battle over the family's inheritance became known as the Douglas Cause. It was a very long and expensive court case. The case started in 1761 and involved judges in Scotland, England, and France.
Finally, in February 1769, the case was decided by the House of Lords in England. The House of Lords is the highest court in the United Kingdom. They ruled in favor of Lady Jane's surviving son, Archibald Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas. This decision meant that he was the rightful heir to the Douglas estates. The inheritance included Douglas Castle. This castle later passed down to Alec Douglas-Home, who became a British Prime Minister.
