Background
Born Dunbar Douglas, he adopted the name Hamilton Douglas upon his 1744 marriage to Helen Hamilton (d1802), the grand-daughter of Lord Basil Hamilton, younger brother to John Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Selkirk.
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Dunbar FRSE
Edit ProfileEducation
He attended Glasgow University from 1739, being greatly influenced by Francis Hutcheson, Professor of Moral Philosophy.
Career
In 1745 he was granted the honorary Doctorate of Civil Law. Selkirk was a supporter of the government during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1766 to 1768.
He served as Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright and, from 1787, as a representative peer for Scotland.
He succeeded to the title of 4th Earl of Selkirk (creation of 1646 in the Peerage of Scotland) and 4th Lord Daer and Shortcleuch (creation of 1646 in the Peerage of Scotland) on 3 December 1744. In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, Selkirk was the target of a raid by John Paul Jones, who was sailing in the service of the Continental Navy.
Jones landed his ship, the Ranger on the shore of Street Mary"s Isle, intending to kidnap the Earl. Finding only the countess and her young family at home, his men made off instead with the silver of the household.
In 1785 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
His proposers were Dugald Stewart, James Hutton, and Adam Smith. Lord Selkirk died on the 24 June 1799 at his residence on George Street, Edinburgh and was buried at Holyrood Abbey on the 31st of that month
Lord Selkirk married Helen Hamilton, daughter of Honorary John Hamilton and Margaret Home, on 3 December 1758.
He had seven sons, six of whom predeceased him.
The youngest, Thomas, succeeded him as 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1799. Marriage (m1758 - 1799) Helen Hamilton (c1738 - 28 November 1802)
Sholto Basil Douglas (1759-1760) (3 September 1759 - 4 July 1760) died in infancy
Basil William Douglas, Lord Daer (1760-1794) (16 March 1763 - 9 November 1794)
John Douglas, Lord Daer (1794-1797) (24 May 1765 - 9 July 1797)
Honorary
Dunbar Douglas (9 July 1766 - 29 October 1796) Commander, Royal Navy. Honorary Alexander Douglas (12 December 1767 - 24 June 1794) Captain, 38th Regiment of Foot.
Lady Helen Hamilton Douglas (c 1768 - 12 July 1837)
Honorary
David Douglas (5 September 1769 - 7 May 1770)
Thomas Douglas, Lord Daer (1797-1809), later 5th Earl of Selkirk (1799-1820) (20 June 1771 - 8 April 1820)
Lady Elizabeth Douglas (c1789 - 28 October 1814)
Lady Katherine Douglas (c1790 - 31 March 1848).
Membership
In 1782, he became a member of the radical Society for Constitutional Information.
