Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot

Lord George Douglas, Appointed 21st October, 1655

Lord George Douglas was the son of William, first Marquis of Douglas, by his second wife Mary, daughter of George, first Marquis of Huntly. In his youth he was page of honour to Louis XIV. Having made choice of the profession of arms, he entered the service of the king of France, and succeeded his brother in the Colonelcy of the Scots Regiment, now the Royal Regiment, in the British line. In 1672 he served with the French army in the Netherlands, and was attached to the division commanded by Marshal Turenne. He afterwards served several campaigns with the French army on the Rhine; highly distinguished himself in the defence of Treves, and was promoted to the rank of Major-General in France. He was created Earl of Dumbarton on the 9th of March, 1675.

In the early part of the reign of King James II. the Earl of Dumbarton was Commander-in-Chief in Scotland; and he commanded the troops which suppressed the rebellion of the Earl of Argyle in the summer of 1685. He was subsequently elected a Knight Companion of the Order of the Thistle. He held the rank of Lieut.-General in England, and was second in command of the army encamped on Hounslow Heath in 1687 and 1688. At the Revolution he adhered to King James II., whom he followed to France, where he died in 1692.