Douglas Cause: Original Legal Proofs and Memorials (1766–1767) — Three Volumes from the Hamilton-Douglas Dispute
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Author: Robert Richardson Archibald Douglas (Defendant), James George Hamilton, Andrew Stuart, James William Montgomery
Binding: Hardback
Published: [publisher not identified], 1766
Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Good for age. The Memorial for the Pursuers volume shows spine wear with partial splitting and exposed hinges; edges are rubbed and corners bumped, but the structure remains sound. The Defender’s Proof lacks its front endpaper, though the integral fold-out letters dated 1717–1752 are complete and well-preserved. The Pursuers’ Proof exhibits a worn spine and cracked hinges, with mild surface abrasion to the wrappers. All three volumes retain their original format and physical integrity, with no loss to text. Paper shows expected toning and scattered foxing, but remains legible and stable throughout. Stitching is intact, and margins are ample.
This rare trio of 18th-century legal imprints presents a landmark inheritance dispute in British jurisprudence, known as the Douglas Cause. As primary-source legal nonfiction, these volumes document the fierce battle over the legitimacy and identity of Archibald Douglas, whose claim to the Douglas estates provoked one of the most sensational trials of the era. The first volume argues the Hamilton family's case against Douglas, accusing him of impersonation and fraud, while the second counters with Douglas’s own defense, asserting his rightful lineage and inheritance. The third volume broadens the scope, introducing the Duchess of Douglas and the Duke of Queensberry as defenders of Archibald’s claim, and challenging the Hamiltons’ assertions with detailed genealogical and testimonial evidence. Together, these texts illustrate the procedural complexity and rhetorical force of 18th-century Scottish law, with extensive witness depositions, cross-examinations, and legal reasoning. They chronicle the collision of aristocratic power, family honor, and legal precedent, culminating in a verdict that shaped inheritance law for generations. The arguments presented are meticulous, strategic, and deeply personal, revealing the stakes not only in property but in identity itself. These volumes instruct the reader in the mechanics of legal proof and the social dynamics of noble succession.
Author: Robert Richardson Archibald Douglas (Defendant), James George Hamilton, Andrew Stuart, James William Montgomery
Binding: Hardback
Published: [publisher not identified], 1766
Condition:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Good for age. The Memorial for the Pursuers volume shows spine wear with partial splitting and exposed hinges; edges are rubbed and corners bumped, but the structure remains sound. The Defender’s Proof lacks its front endpaper, though the integral fold-out letters dated 1717–1752 are complete and well-preserved. The Pursuers’ Proof exhibits a worn spine and cracked hinges, with mild surface abrasion to the wrappers. All three volumes retain their original format and physical integrity, with no loss to text. Paper shows expected toning and scattered foxing, but remains legible and stable throughout. Stitching is intact, and margins are ample.
This rare trio of 18th-century legal imprints presents a landmark inheritance dispute in British jurisprudence, known as the Douglas Cause. As primary-source legal nonfiction, these volumes document the fierce battle over the legitimacy and identity of Archibald Douglas, whose claim to the Douglas estates provoked one of the most sensational trials of the era. The first volume argues the Hamilton family's case against Douglas, accusing him of impersonation and fraud, while the second counters with Douglas’s own defense, asserting his rightful lineage and inheritance. The third volume broadens the scope, introducing the Duchess of Douglas and the Duke of Queensberry as defenders of Archibald’s claim, and challenging the Hamiltons’ assertions with detailed genealogical and testimonial evidence. Together, these texts illustrate the procedural complexity and rhetorical force of 18th-century Scottish law, with extensive witness depositions, cross-examinations, and legal reasoning. They chronicle the collision of aristocratic power, family honor, and legal precedent, culminating in a verdict that shaped inheritance law for generations. The arguments presented are meticulous, strategic, and deeply personal, revealing the stakes not only in property but in identity itself. These volumes instruct the reader in the mechanics of legal proof and the social dynamics of noble succession.