Honorary David Douglas, Lord Reston FRSE was a Scottish judge and the nephew and heir of Adam Smith.
Background
He was born on 24 July 1769, in Strathendry, the fifth and youngest son of Colonel Robert Douglas of Strathendry (1716–1803) and Cecilia Craigie, daughter of Robert Craigie, Lord President of the Court of Session. He spent his later childhood with Adam Smith, who was a first cousin of his father, and received Smith"s property, including his library, on his death.
Education
He attended Edinburgh High School (with Sir Walter Scott), 1777–1782, and then Edinburgh University, where he studied under Millar.
Career
lieutenant is set down in the History of the Speculative Society that he read a paper there on 30 November 1790 on "The Effects of Taxation on the Necessaries of " He qualified as an Advocate in 1791, and became Sheriff-Depute of Berwickshire in 1809. In 1813 he succeeded William Craig, Lord Craig as Lord of Session 1813, and in 1816 he succeeded Lord Meadowbank as Lord of Justiciary, at which point he was awarded the title Lord Reston, 1816. He was also a Senator of the Royal College of Justice.
In January 1817 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
His proposers were David Hume, Thomas Charles Hope, and James Russell. His Edinburgh townhouse address at this time was 51 Northumberland Street in the Second New Town.
He operated what was called the Northern Circuit (of Scottish courts) in conjunction with Lord Gillies. He died of an anurism at the Glendoick estate near Perth whilst visiting his father-in-law, Major John Craigie, on 23 April 1819, just prior to a planned trip to visit Lord Kinnaird in his recently completed house, Rossie Priory.
1. Elizabeth Craigie Douglas (1808-1822)
2.
3. Adam Smith Douglas (1816-1838)
4. David Anne Douglas (1819-1879), who married the Rev James Bannerman, whose son was Rev David Douglas Bannerman.