John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry
| John Marquess of Queensberry | |
|---|---|
John Queensberry in 1896
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| Born |
20 July 1844 Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Italy |
| Died | 31 January 1900 (aged 55) London, England |
| Title | Marquess of Queensberry |
| Tenure | 6 August 1858 – 31 January 1900 |
| Spouse(s) | Sibyl Montgomery (m.1866–1887) Ethel Weeden (m.1893–1894) |
| Issue |
Francis Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig & Baron Kelhead Percy Douglas, 10th Marquess of Queensberry Lord Alfred Douglas Lord Sholto Douglas Lady Edith Douglas |
| Parents |
Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry Caroline Margaret Clayton |
John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry (20 July 1844 – 31 January 1900) was a Scottish nobleman, remembered for his outspoken views, his brutish manner, for lending his name to the "Queensberry Rules" that form the basis of modern boxing, and for his role in the downfall of author and playwright Oscar Wilde.
John Douglas was born in Florence, Italy, the eldest son of Conservative politician Archibald Viscount Drumlanrig and Caroline Margaret Clayton. He had three brothers, Francis, Archibald, and James, and two sisters, Gertrude and Florence. He was briefly styled Viscount Drumlanrig following his father's succession in 1856, and on the latter's death in 1858 he inherited the Marquessate of Queensberry. The 9th Marquess was educated in the training ships Illustrious and Britannia at Portsmouth, and served in the Royal Navy until resigning in 1864. He was Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 1st Dumfriesshire Rifle Volunteers from 1869 to 1871.
In 1864 Queensberry entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, which he left two years later without taking a degree. He was more distinguished in sport, playing college cricket as well as running, hunting, and steeplechasing.
He married Sibyl Montgomery in 1866. They had four sons and a daughter; his wife successfully sued for divorce in 1887 on the grounds of his adultery. She survived him to the age of 90, dying in 1935. Queensberry married Ethel Weeden in 1893 but the marriage was annulled the following year.
Queensberry sold the family seat of Kinmount in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, an action which further alienated him from his family.
He died, two months after a stroke, and after a period of mental decline believed to be caused by syphilis, in his club room in Welbeck Street, west London, aged 55, nearly a year before Oscar Wilde's death. He wrote a poem starting with the words "When I am dead cremate me." After cremation at Woking Crematorium, his ashes were buried at Kinmount in the Douglas Mausoleum outside Cummertrees Parish Church.
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