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Dumbarton, 1st Earl of
The Earldom of Dumbarton, 1st creation, 1675, in the Peerage of Scotland

This earldom was given to Lord George Douglas along with the subsidiary title of Lord Douglas of Ettrick and the heirs-male of his body.

Arms: These were not recorded in Lyon Register, but are given by Nisbet, see The Scots Peerage reference below.

The blazon of his Arms:
Quarterly: 1st, Azure a lion rampant Argent, crowned Or ( for Macdowall );
2nd, Or a lion rampant Gules surmounted of a ribbon Sable (for Abernethie );
3rd, Argent, three piles Gules ( for Wishart );
4th, Or, a fess chequy Azure and Argent surmounted of a bend Gules charged with three buckles of the first ( for Stewart );

Over all, an inescutcheon Argent, a man’s heart Gules, ensigned with an imperial crown proper,
on a chief Azure three mullets of the first ( for Douglas ); the whole within a bordure of France and England, quarterly, 1st and 4th, Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or, 2nd and 3rd , Gules, three lions passant guardant Or.

It is to be noted that this bordure which serves as a difference makes these arms unique to the Earls of Dumbarton.

Crest: A salamander Vert I flames of fire proper.

Supporters: Dexter, a savage proper holding a baton erected, and wreathed about the middle Vert; sinister, a stag proper armed and engulfed Or, both standing on a pile of wood wreathed and impaled for a compartment,

Motto: Jamais arrière.

SOURCES, NOTES & CREDITS:The Scots Peerage, 4th Edition, Vol.3, pp 216-218, edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms, Edinburgh, David Douglas, 1906, The Wikipedia Article on the Earls of Dumbarton, and the Wikipedia List of Knights and Ladies of the Thistle. The artwork is a rendition by John Hamilton Gaylor based solely on the blazon, as the arms strangely were not illustrated by Graham Johnston the artist for the volumes of this Peerage, Johnston was also the Heraldic Artist to the Lyon Office at this time. The text is by Dwyer Wedvick developed and adapted from the sources mentioned.

Lord George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton, born circa 1636, was the second son of the second marriage of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas. In 1647 King Charles I allowed Lord George to go to France to study for five years. Whilst there, Lord George entered the service of King Louis XIV and in 1653 was made colonel of the Scottish Regiment in France. In 1669 Lord George and his regiment were summoned to Britain and entered into British service. King Charles II made Lord George, Earl of Dumbarton and Lord Douglas of Ettrick on 9 March 1675 for services in France and in the recent Dutch war. This was however a mere titular dignity and the Earl had no Scottish estates. When King James VII came to the throne in 1685 he appointed the Earl of Dumbarton as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Scotland. Then in 1686 the Earl received a grant of the escheat of the estate of Andrew Fletcher of Salton from King James. In 1687 the Earl was created a Knight of the Thistle, making him one of the Founder Knights. In 1688 he followed his royal master King James into exile and died at St. Germain-en-Laye on 20 March 1692.

He had an only son, George Douglas, born circa April 1687 with the Courtesy Title of Lord Ettrick. In 1692 he became the 2nd Earl of Dumbarton. In due course he became Lt.Col. in Dubourgay’s Foot in 1715. And, in April 1716 he was appointed Envoy to the Czar of Moscow. He then lived in France until he died in Douay, Flanders on 7 January 1748-49 when his honours became extinct.

The Earl of Dunbarton, 2nd creation, 2018, Peerage of the United Kingdom
This earldom was given to Prince Harry of Wales, born 1984 On 19 May 2018, as Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.

The artwork is a rendition by John Hamilton Gaylor

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John_Duncan__presented_to_HRH_the_D__of_Rothesay_July_2009.jpg Duncan_by_Andrew_Stewart_Jamieson_2_2011.jpg Dumbarton.jpg DuffNorwich.jpg Peter_Drummond_Murray_Desceased_2.jpg
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