Frances Elizabeth Douglas married a James Templeton McGarrah

[William Douglas]

I have received a message saying: 'trying to find a connection for Frances Elizabeth Douglas, born 179,1 Petersham, London; died 1839, Brentford. I believe her father was Archibald Douglas, mother Frances, she married a James Templeton McGarrah. Both James & his wife Frances died in 1839 december 1/4. They had about 9 children, nearly all were taken in by various well to do people like the Queen's housekeeper at Kew Palace, the local school master, a Mrs Hawes at the Cumberland Arms Hotel at Kew'.

I like to follow up all enquiries, but this one has particularly caught my attention because Archibald, 3rd Marquess of Douglas and his wife Frances Scott had a daughter Frances Elizabeth who lived about that time. But that line of enquiry proved wrong.

James Templeton McGarrah was a gardener at Kew Gardens. He had a wife, Frances. They had several children, including Mary Ann Templeton McGarrah, born in Old Brentford, London, England, who married Henry Thorne Cussens Cox (1811-1882), who was born in Weston, Somerset, England. He was the son of George Cox (1777-1855) and Christiana Cussens (1781-1873).

At age 21, Henry worked as a clerk for James Dignam, a solicitor in London. He was charged with theft in 1834; on one count he was acquitted, and on another charge, he was found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for seven years, but after three months, he received a pardon. Henry became a clerk at the Brentford Union.

However, on 24th October 1842 Henry Cox was convicted for embezzlement of £290 from the Brentford Union, at the Central Criminal Court in London, and sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen's Land.  Henry sailed on the "Cressy" 30 April 1843 from Plymouth.

Mary Ann took their three children, Henry James, born 1837, Edward George, born 1839 and Ebenezer, born 1842, to Australia on the "Aden" in 1849. The passengers were not government assisted,  but paid their own fares. The Aden sailed from Gravesend in London on 16th May 1949, and arrived in Adelaide on 12 September 1849.

Life of Henry T. C. Cox and his descendants can be read here>>> (link updated 17 APR 2017)

But who was this Frances Elizabeth Douglas? And what happened to her other children?

[Geoffrey Cox]

James Templeton (he didn't always use McGarrah) was not only a foreman in the arboretum at Kew Gardens but was also Clerk there at the time of his death.

James' wife was Frances, daughter of Richard and Anne Douglass.  I believe the Douglass family may have lived in or near the County of Antrim.  James himself was born there in 1781.  After moving to London he joined the Westminster Regiment of the Middlesex Militia in 1804 and toured around Britain with the regiment until about 1815.  Around 1812 the Militia was in Northern Ireland and I think it is likely it was then that he met Frances.  They had a son James in Scotland in September 1813 when the militia was near Penicuik.  I have not been able to confirm the date and place of birth of Frances or of her marriage to James.  After the birth of James junior there followed eleven daughters.

[Linda French]

Thank you so much for this info.

[William Douglas]

What is now Glencorse Barracks is situated near Pencuik, Midlothian. In 1813, it was used to house 6,000 prisoners taken in the Napoleonic Wars, mostly the crews of privateers.