John Douglas, 2nd Earl of Morton

He was the son of James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton and Princess Joan Stewart, Countess of Morton, daughter of James I of Scotland by his wife Lady Joan Beaufort.^[3] He became earl in 1493, upon his father's death. He was succeeded by his son James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton.

A very wealthy man, John, unlike many of his peers, did not become embroiled in the intrigues and politics of his day.^[4] Instead, the shrewd Earl of Morton worked to improve his holdings and was quite the litigator in his time, successfully defending his interests in court.^[5] It turned out later that John, as lord of Dalkeith was aware the land had great value both above and below the surface and in fact sat on what was later described as the Great Midlothian Coalfield.^[4]