Robert Douglas, 8th Earl of Morton

Robert Douglas, Earl of Morton (died 12 November 1649) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl of Morton. He was the son of William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton and Lady Anne Keith, daughter of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal. In 1627, he married Anne Villiers, a daughter of Sir Edward Villiers.

Life

He was a direct descendant of King James II through his great-great grandmother Lady Margaret Crichton, the daughter of the Princess Margaret of Scotland.

After his father's death, Robert acted in a high-handed way in Orkney, overriding udal law, to raise money for the royalist cause. The Morton interest in Orkney was a royal grant of Charles I, to compensate the 7th Earl for his subsidies and losses in the royal cause. At this point of the War of the Three Kingdoms the Morton control of Orkney assumed importance, because the forces of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose intended in 1649 to land there and re-open the fighting in Scotland.

Robert Douglas died on 12 November 1649, in Kirkwall.

Family

He was succeeded by his son, William Douglas, 9th Earl of Morton. He also had two daughters by his wife: Lady Anne Douglas, who married the Earl Marischal, and Lady Mary Douglas, who married Sir Donald Macdonald.