Douglas Cause (2 results)
More imagesLanguage: English
Published by Printed for J. Almon, opposite Burlington-House, in Piccadilly. 1767., London: 1767
- Hardcover
Seller: Noushin Books & Company, Hamden, CT, U.S.A.Noushin Books & Company
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Good
US$ 195.00
US$ 6.95 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Hardcover. Condition: Good. First edition. 8vo. 391, [1], 8pp. (8-page publisher's catalogue at end contains some interesting pamphlets published in England and America concerning taxation and trade). ¾ calf over marbled boards, rubbed. Boards separated (present). Spine in compartments with a gilt lettered red Morocco label, chi…pped. All edges red. Engraving on front pastedown, plate of Charles Wetherill of Philadelphia on fep. Contemporary ownership inscription of William Meredith on title. Leaves toned and foxed. In good condition. This was a high-profile legal case concerning the inheritance of a vast fortune. The ownership inscription on the title may be that of Sir William Meredith (d.1790), a member of parliament. The case, known as the "Douglas Cause", began after the death of the Duke of Douglas in 1761. He had no heirs and his distant cousin, the Duke of Hamilton, was in line to inherit the enormous estate. However, the Duke of Douglas' sister, Jane Douglas, had given birth to twin boys at the age of 50 and the surviving son, Archibald had claimed the inheritance to be rightfully his. The court case began in 1767, and the judges ruled in favor of Hamilton. Archibald's lawyers quickly sued and the decision was reversed two years later, restoring the estate to Archibald Douglas. ESTC T7919.
- First Edition
Seller: The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., ABAA ILAB, Clark, NJ, U.S.A.The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., ABAA ILAB
Contact seller5-star sellerFirst Edition. London: for W. Griffin, 1767. 56, 23, [1] pp. A Sensational Inheritance Case [Trial]. [Douglas Cause]. A Concise Narrative of the Proceedings in the Douglas Cause: With Remarks Upon the Memorials: In a Letter to a Friend. London: Printed for W. Griffin, 1767. 56, 23, [1] pp. Octavo (9" x 5-3/4"). Disbound stab-sti…tched pamphlet, fore and bottom edges untrimmed. Light toning, light soiling to exterior, light foxing in a few places, a few creases to final leaf. $500. * First edition. The "Douglas Cause," which involved claims on the estate of Duke Douglas, was one of the most sensational Scottish trials of the eighteenth century. Douglas died without issue, leaving his sister Lady Jane Douglas the heir presumptive. His relatives the Hamiltons had hoped to lay claim to the estate, but were foiled when Lady Jane had twin sons at the age of 50. A bitter dispute ensued over whether these children were in fact legitimate, but the case was decided against the Hamiltons, and the estate went to Lady Jane's surviving child Archibald Stewart Douglas. This was a rancorous case which attracted a great deal of public attention, most of it sympathetic to the young Douglas. A second edition was published later the same year. English Short-Title Catalogue T184001. London: for W. Griffin, 1767. 56, 23, [1] pp. (illustrator).
