Earl of Morton
(1818-1884)

Volume 1, page 97, sitting number 592.

Sholto John Douglas was born on 13 April 1818, the son of George Sholto Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton and Frances Theodora née Rose. He succeeded his father on 31 March 1858, becoming 18th Earl of Morton.

On 21 January 1844 he married firstly Helen Watson, daughter of James Watson. His first wife died on 23 December 1850. He married secondly, on 7 July 1853, Lady Alice Anne Caroline Lambton, daughter of Sir John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham.

Lord Morton died on 24 December 1884, at the age of 66, and was succeeded by his son, Sholto George Douglas.

An obituary appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News (26 December 1884). 'The Earl of Morton died at his Mid-Lothian residence, Dalmahoy House, on Wednesday. The deceased, Sholto John Douglas, was born on 13th April, 1818, and succeeded his father, the 19th [sic] earl, in 1858. For one year he acted as lieutenant in the 11th Hussars, and he subsequently acted as colonel of the Mid-Lothian Yeomanry. He filled the office of Deputy-Lieutenant in the counties of Mid-Lothian and Argyleshire, while as a representative Peer of Scotland he occupied a seat in the House of Lords, but, although a staunch Conservative, never took any prominent part in politics. The deceased earl was married twice, the first time in 1844 to Helen, daughter of Mr James Watson of Saughton, by whom he had a son, Lord Aberdour, who succeeds him, and the second time in 1850, to Alice Anne Caroline Lambton, daughter of the first Earl of Durham, and Lady of the Bed-chamber to the Princess of Wales.'