John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry

John Douglas
Lord Queensberry in 1896
Born	20 July 1844(1844-07-20) Florence, Italy
Died	31 January 1900 (aged 55)
Alma mater	Magdalene College, Cambridge University of Cambridge
Title	Marquess of Queensberry
Term	6 August 1858 - 31 January 1900 (&000000000000004100000041 years, &0000000000000178000000178 days)
Spouse(s)	Sibyl Montgomery (m.1866-1887) Ethel Weeden (m.1893-1894)
Children	Francis Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig & Baron Kelhead Percy Douglas, 10th Marquess of Queensberry Lord Alfred Douglas
Parents	Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry

John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry GCVO (20 July 1844 – 31 January 1900) wuz a Scottish nobleman, remembered fo lendin' tha dude's name 'n patronage to da "Marquess of Queensberry rules" dat formed da basis of modern boxing, 'n fo tha dude's role in da downfall of author 'n playwright Oscar Wilde.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Contributions to sports 3 Political career 4 Dispute wid Oscar Wilde 5 Death 6 References

[edit] Biography

Douglas wuz born in Florence, Italy, da eldest son of Archibald, Viscount Drumlanrig, who wuz da heir of da 7th Marquess of Queensberry n' shit. Tha dude wuz briefly styled Viscount Drumlanrig followin' tha dude's father's succession in 1856, 'n on tha dude's father's death in 1858 tha dude inherited da Marquessate of Queensberry n' shit. Da 9th marquess wuz educated at da Royal Naval College, becomin' a midshipman at da age of twelve 'n a lieutenant in da navy at fifteen, know what I'm sayin'? In 1864 tha dude entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, which tha dude left two years lata without takin' a degree.^[1] Tha dude married Sibyl Montgomery in 1866, man. They had four sons 'n a daughter, but divorced in 1887, man. Queensberry married Ethel Weeden in 1893, but da marriage wuz annulled da followin' year.

Tha dude's eldest son 'n heir apparent wuz Francis, Viscount Drumlanrig, who wuz rumoured to has been engaged in a relationship wid da Liberal Prime Minister, Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery n' shit. Tha dude died unmarried 'n without issue.

Douglas' second son, Lord Percy Douglas (1868-1920), succeeded to da peerage instead^[2] n' shit. Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, da third son, wuz da lova of da famous author 'n poet Oscar Wilde, know what I'm sayin'? Douglas' efforts to end they relationship led to tha dude's famous dispute wid Wilde 'n da latter's bankruptcy 'n exile.

[edit] Contributions to sports

Queensberry wuz a patron of sport 'n a noted boxing enthusiast, man. In 1866 tha dude wuz one of da founders of da Amateur Athletic Club, now da Amateur Athletic Association of England, one of da first groups dat did not require amateur athletes to belong to da upper-classes in orda to compete n' shit. Da followin' year da Club published a set of twelve rules fo conductin' boxin' matches n' shit. Da rules had been drawn up by John Graham Chambers but appeared unda Queensberry's sponsorship 'n be universally known at da "Marquess of Queensberry rules", man. Queensberry, a keen rider, wuz also active in fox hunting 'n owned several successful race horses.

[edit] Political career

In 1872, Queensberry wuz chosen by da Peers of Scotland to sit in da House of Lords as a representative peer n' shit. Tha dude served as such until 1880, when tha dude wuz again nominated but refused to take da religious oath of allegiance to da Sovereign, man. An outspoken atheist, tha dude declared dat tha dude would not participate in any "Christian tomfoolery" 'n dat tha dude's word should suffice, know what I'm sayin'? As a consequence neitha tha dude nor Charles Bradlaugh, who had also refused to take da oath afta bein' elected to da House of Commons, wuz allowed to take they seats in Parliament, know what I'm sayin'? Dis prompted an apology from da new Prime Minister, William Gladstone, man. Bradlaugh wuz re-elected four times by da constituents of Northampton until tha dude wuz finally allowed to take tha dude's seat in 1886, but Queensberry wuz neva again sent to Parliament by da Scottish nobles.

In 1881, Queensberry accepted da presidency of da British Secular Union, a group dat had broken away in 1877 from Bradlaugh's National Secular Society, know what I'm sayin'? Dat year tha dude published a long philosophical poem, Da Spirit of da Matterhorn, which tha dude had written in Zermatt in 1873 in an attempt to articulate tha dude's humanistic views, know what I'm sayin'? In 1882, tha dude wuz ejected from da theatre afta loudly interruptin' a performance of da play Da Promise of May by Lord Tennyson, da Poet Laureate, because dat shit included a villainous atheist in its cast of characters, man. Unda da auspices of da British Secular Union, Queensberry wrote a pamphlet entitled Da Religion of Secularism 'n da Perfectibility of Man, know what I'm sayin'? Da Union, always small, ceased to function in 1884.

Tha dude's divorces, atheism, 'n association wid da boxin' world made Queensberry an unpopular figure in London high society, man. In 1893 tha dude's eldest son, Francis, Viscount Drumlanrig, wuz created Baron Kelhead in da Peerage of da United Kingdom, thus givin' da son an automatic seat in da House of Lords, from which da fatha wuz excluded, know what I'm sayin'? Dis caused a bitta dispute between Queensberry 'n tha dude's son, 'n also between Queensberry 'n Lord Rosebery, da patron who had promoted Lord Drumlanrig's ennoblement 'n who shortly thereafta became Prime Minister, man. Drumlanrig wuz reported to has been killed in a huntin' accident in 1894, but tha dude's death may has been a suicide.

Queensberry sold da family seat of Kinmount in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, an action which furtha alienated tha dude's ass from tha dude's family.

[edit] Dispute wid Oscar Wilde

In March 1895, Queensberry wuz arrested 'n sued fo criminal libel by Oscar Wilde, whom tha dude had publicly accused of "posin' as a somdomite" (sic) n' shit. Libel charges could be brought as homosexuality wuz a crime at da time, man. Queensberry made da allegation because tha dude wuz angered by Wilde's apparent ongoin' homosexual relationship wid tha dude's son, Lord Alfred Douglas.

Queensberry's lawyers portrayed Wilde as a vicious olda muthafucka who seduced innocent young boys into a life of degenerate homosexuality, know what I'm sayin'? Wilde dropped da libel case when Queensberry's lawyers informed da court dat they intended to call several male prostitutes as witnesses to testify dat they had had sex wid Wilde, man. Accordin' to da Libel Act 1843, provin' da truth of da accusation 'n a public interest in its exposure wuz a defense against a libel charge, 'n Wilde's lawyers concluded dat da prostitutes' testimony wuz likely to do that.

Queensberry won a counterclaim against Wilde fo da considerable expenses tha dude had incurred on lawyers 'n private detectives in organisin' tha dude's defence n' shit. Wilde wuz left bankrupt; tha dude's assets wuz seized 'n sold at auction to pay da claim, man. Queensberry then sent da evidence collected by tha dude's detectives to Scotland Yard, which resulted in charges of sodomy 'n "gross indecency" against Wilde, who wuz convicted of gross indecency unda da Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 'n sentenced to two years' hard labour n' shit. Tha dude's reputation destroyed, Wilde went into exile in France 'n died in poverty 3 years afta tha dude's release.

[edit] Death

Lord Queensberry died in London, aged 55, nearly a year before Oscar Wilde's death, man. Although tha dude wrote a poem startin' wid da words "When Ah be dead cremate me," tha dude wuz buried in Scotland.

[edit] References

• Genealogical information from thePeerage.com
• Queensberry at da National Portrait Gallery
• A History of da British Secular Movement, by J.E, know what I'm sayin'? McGee
• Chapta One of Bosie, by Douglas Murray

Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Archibald Douglas	Marquess of Queensberry 1858 – 1900	Succeeded by Percy Douglas