DOUGLAS, John (?1774-1838), of Grantham, Lincs.

The son of a wealthy landowner with estates in the counties of Cambridge, Cheshire, Flint, Lanark, Lincoln and Middlesex and cotton mills in Lancashire, Douglas was prepared to stand for Grantham in 1818, but made way for another candidate. He was probably brought into Parliament for the 2nd Marquess of Hertford’s borough through his brother-in-law, Benjamin Bloomfield, the Regent’s secretary.PCC 13 Calvert; see GRANTHAM. He took three leaves of absence in his first session, but voted with ministers in the critical divisions of 29 Mar., 18 May and 10 June 1819 and for the extension of the franchise at Penryn on 22 June. He made no reported speech. In 1821 he relinquished his seat to Viscount Castlereagh, but found another.

To escape his creditors Douglas, who had been a Turf enthusiast, went to Sweden after 1826, Bloomfield being envoy there. He remained there until 1835. By his will made in 1836 and proved in London 26 Mar. 1839, he left his property to his nephew, Bloomfield’s son.Rutland mss, Douglas to Rutland, 16 June [1826], 8 Nov. 1835; PCC 152 Vaughan.

He died in Grenada, 31 July 1838.Gent. Mag. (1838), ii. 567.