Sylvester Douglas, 1st Baron Glenbervie of Kincardine Personal Computer, KC, Federal Reserve System, FRSE, Federal Security Agency was a British lawyer, politician and diarist.
Background
Douglas was the son of John Douglas, descended from James Douglas, minister of Glenbervie in Aberdeenshire, son of Sir William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus and half-brother of William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus. His mother was Margaret Gordon, daughter and co-heir of James Gordon, of Fechel.
Education
He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, graduating Master of Arts in 1765 and then studied both Law and Medicine at the University of Leyden.
Career
He was Chief Secretary for Ireland between 1793 and 1794. He was admitted to Lincoln"s Inn in London in 1771, was called to the Bar in 1776, and became King"s Counsel in 1793. The same year he was appointed a King"s Counsel Douglas gave up his legal career on his appointment as Chief Secretary for Ireland under William Pitt the Younger.
In 1794 he was admitted to both the Irish and English Privy Council and returned to the Irish House of Commons for Street Canice, a seat he held until 1796.
In 1795 he was elected to the British House of Commons for Fowey. He later represented Midhurst between 1796 and 1800, Plympton Erle between 1801 and 1802 and Hastings between 1802 and 1806.
He was asked to accompany Earl Macartney to the Cape of Good Hope in 1796 and, after 18 months there, to succeed him as governor. In 1797 Douglas was made a Lord of the Treasury by Pitt, In 1800 Douglas was asked for a second time to go to the Cape as governor.
He finally agreed in October 1800, again for an Irish peerage and was so appointed Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Douglas changed his mind again and accepted a post as Joint Paymaster of Her Majesty Forces, subsequently receiving £2731.
10s. in salary, paid from the Cape Treasury, even though he never went there. At the end of the year he was created Baron Glenbervie of Kincardine, in Scotland. After serving as joint Paymaster of the Forces between 1801 and 1803 and Vice-President of the Board of Trade between 1801 and 1804, he was Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases between 1803 and 1806 and 1807 and 1810.
On the office of the Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown being combined with the former in 1810, became the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, the head of the new department.
He held the office until 1814. Lord Glenbervie was also Rector of King"s College, Aberdeen between 1805 and 1814.
Membership
Royal Society; 1st United Kingdom Parliament. 2nd United Kingdom Parliament. 17th Parliament of Great Britain.
18th Parliament of Great Britain.