Basil William Douglas

Basil William Douglas, Lord Daer FRSE (1763-1794) was a short-lived but influential Scottish nobleman of the 18th century. He was both a politician and agricultural improver.

Daer was an advocate of parliamentary reform and supporter of the "Friends of the People".

He is one of the small group of people whom Robert Burns wrote poetry upon.

Life

He was the second son of Dunbar Douglas, 4th Earl of Selkirk and Helen Hamilton. Despite the death of the Earl's first son in infancy, Basil never became Earl, dying before his father. He was educated at Edinburgh University and whilst studying lodged with Dugald Stewart.^[1]

In 1785 (soon after its inception in 1783) he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Dugald Stewart, James Gregory, and John Walker.^[2]

In 1786 he travelled with Dugald Stewart to his country house at Catrine in Ayrshire, here, on 23rd October, he was famously introduced to Robert Burns, Burns' first meeting with nobility.^[3] Burns wrote of this event:

"Nae honest, worthy man need care,

To meet with noble, youthful Daer

For he but meets a brother"

He died in Ivybridge in Devon and is buried in Exeter Cathedral.^[4] On his death the title of Lord Daer passed to his younger brother Thomas Douglas who soon after also became the 5th Earl of Selkirk.

Artistic Recognition

Lord Daer was portrayed in his meeting with Robert Burns.^[5]

References