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- Contested Dumfries Burgh unsuccessfully in the Queensberry interest in 1735; returned as a Tory for the county in 1741, he voted against the government. In January 1746, during the siege of the castle of Stirling, he arrived from London to see the Young Pretender with reports of messages sent to France by the English Jacobite leaders, Lord Barrymore and Sir William Watkins Wynn (q.q.v.) and with the news that the sum of 10,000 pounds was lying in the city of London for the Prince's use. This was disclosed by Murray of Broughton, the Young Pretender's secretary, who turned King's Evidence with the result that in August 1746, Sir John was sent to the Tower, the house being notified of his arrest for high treason. At a meeting of the Privy Council, 11. Nov., John Douglas, being then asked what he has to say to the facts above mentioned (Murray's evidence) he saith that he shall make no answer in any shape, that perhaps this may be ill manners, but that being no lawyer he doth not think fit to give any answer.'Attempts to get corroborative evidence having failed, he was released in March 1748 on bail of 4000 pounds. Excepted by name from the subsequent Act of Indemnity, 20 Geo II, c. 52, he did not stand again.16At the Privy Coucil hearing, in response to a question 'Do you know the witness?' ( Murray of Broughton) 'Not I, I once knew a person who bore the designation of Murray of Broughton, but that was a gentleman and a man of honour, and one that could hold up his head.'17 Murray of Broughton was third cousin to Sir John Douglas of Kelhead, being descended from the first Earl of Queensberry. Sir John's grandson, Henry Alexander Douglas, married Elizabeth Dalzell, also a descendent of the first Earl of Queensberry through the Murrays of Broughton.The Gentleman's Magazine Vol. XVI. of August 1746 has a short notice of Sir John's being 'brought to town in custody of a messenger'. The same page has entries on sums of money raised in London by a Dr. Barry sent to Newgate and the arrival of Lord Lovat at the Tower and seeing the scaffold upon which he would be executed being built. 18 An article in the Gentleman's Magazine of March 1848 notes Sir John's release on bail, 'his sureties in 2000 l and himself in 4000 l'.19Sir John was the 'chief director of his friend the Duke of Queensberry's country affairs and parliamentary interest in the county of Dumfries but 'Sir John was no economist....he run aground and as he likewise had been nibbling to serve the Jacobite party...this added to the distraction and confusion of his affairs'....On Sir John's release in March, 1748 the Duke of Queensberry 'got his estate put under trustees...himself lent money....and had his creditors thereby pacified. ..By 1762, when James Boswell met him, the family were again in financial trouble by Sir John's extravagant 'improvements' which had 'burthened his estate with about 30,000 pounds'. He was imprisoned for debt in January 1778 and died in November of that year.16Sir John wrote a very lengthy and impassioned letter to the Duke of Queensberry on 17 January 1775 apologising for letting him down but defending his situation and desperately seeking the Duke's support against his detractors. Si John seems to have been acting as a factor on the Estate and allowed arrears of rent to accumulate. He was also accused of obstructing the sale of woods, which he denied as an "injurious scandalous falsehood". Advances to his brother, David, are also mentioned.20Substantial holdings in Cummertrees and some other parts of Dumfriesshire are listed in a directory of Land Ownership circa 1770.14"Biography from James Boswell siteJohn Douglas. (ca. 1708-1778) (aka. 3rd Bart of Kelhead) 3rd Bart of Kelhead. Son of Sir William Douglas (d. 1733), 2nd Bart of Kelhead, and Helen Erskine (d. 1754), a half-sister of Boswell's mother Euphemia. Brother of Charles and William Douglas. Married to Christian Cunningham (1710-1741), daughter of Sir William Cunningham of Caprington. Father of William Douglas and about 7 other children.Life with James Boswell: Boswell visited the family at Kelhead on October 6 and 7, 1762. He wrote of Douglas that by his princely improvements [of the estate] Sir John Douglas has burthened his estate with about £30,000. [...] a lively man, but hurried away by fanciful project.
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Abt 1708 - 1778 (70 years)