Robert Douglas 1655-1733

[Maggie Crow]

I am trying to establish a Scottish Irish link for the parents of the above Robert.  His parents were Robert Douglas and Elizabeth Henderson and they relocated to Ireland around 1665.  Robert the younger was a Lieutenant in William 3rd's army at the Battle of the Boyne.

The Douglas family lived at Grace Hall, Magheralin, Co. Down. Ireland

[Russell Lynn Drysdale]

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA351&dq=Robert%20Douglas&...

[Maggie Crow]

....all I needed was a clue!  I wasn't aware of "Google Books" and found on that website a link for my ancestor - in a book of Pedigree for descendants of the Emperor Charlemagne and it confirmed suspicians I had of links to the Queensberry sect. So thank you so much for the nudge!

[Russell Lynn Drysdale]

there are some very interesting old books in there , material that is well sourced . Sometimes the path least traveled is the wisest one .I'm glad your Google~ology is paying off Maggie.  

 

[William Douglas]

Google Books is a fantastic resource, and should be in every researchers toolkit.  Try also Google Scholar for more obscure facts. Remember to re-phrase your search criteria if you do not find anything in the first 10 pages. But do not give up at 10 either!

[susan McGrath]

hi maggie

although no descesent of the douglass family

i am interested in finding more about the douglass  of gracehall

i have limited information at present but many links

the last of the douglass to live at gracehall was approx in 1900 when it was sold and the douglass at that time had moved to elm park armagh

i have many notes but not sorted/organised ones

look forward to hearing how you are getting on

susan

[William Douglas]

Susan,

 

This seems to be an area that I have not covered well in the Douglas Archives, though i do have a some of the Blacker-Douglass family in the genealogy database.

 

The following is from: "The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and wales"

Douglas (exemplified to St. John Thomas Douglass, Esq., of Elm Tark, co. Armagh, eldest son of He v. Samuel Blacker, D.D., Prebendary ofMullaghbiack, in the diocese of Armagh, deceased, by Elizabeth, his wife, eldest dau. of Thomas Douglass, of Grace Hall, co. Down, deceased, and sister of Charles Matthew Douglass, Esq., of Grace Hall —on his assuming the surname of Douglass in lieu of that of Blacker, pursuant to the willof the said Chakles Matthew Douglass). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, per pale ar. and or, a human heart gu. on a chief az. a trefoil slipped betw. two etoiles of the second for Douglas: 2nd and 3rd, ar. on a mount vert a warrior in complete armour in the act of advancing towards the right, and brandishing in his dexter hand a battle axe ppr., from his shoulders a mantle flowing gu., for Blacker. CWtt—1st, Douglass: A cubit arm erect ppr. grasping a human heart as in the arms, and charged with a trefoil slipped vert; 2nd, Blacker: A dexter armed arm embowed ppr. the hand gaunttcted grasping a battle-axe, as in the arms. Mottoes—Douglass, Forward; Blacker, Pro Deo et rege.

[William Douglas]

I have added a couple of pages on the Douglases of Grace hall.  See links from What's New?

 

Very much 'work in progress', so any contributions would be welcome.

[Maggie Crow]

Thanks William (& Sue) - it was good to see the picture of Grace Hall in its prime!  We visited it a few years ago and it was in a sorry state.  With the help of a book called "Pedigrees of some of the Emperor charlemagne's Descendants" (vol.2) I managed to establish a link that I suspected, to Coshogle in Dumfries-shire and from there the task has been easier as there are more records.  I will try and add some facts to your site when I have a spare moment!.  Our family always spelt the name Dowglass (which is the spelling I found on a 1706 publication of The Peerage of England.

[susan McGrath]

hi maggie

the photo was a fairly recent one well taken within the last 15 years

the building to the right of the photo was the orginal house dating back to 1700

the now main house was only  built in approx 1803

[Maggie Crow]

Thanks for that Susan. We were in Ireland in 2001, visiting the old family houses (Grace Hall, Mount Ida and Gobrana), so maybe Grace Hall was in the process of being "done up" then.  We had hoped to gain entry to the house but there was nobody around so could only take pictures of the exterior and peer through the windows.  It was really a "when we win the lottery" moment! I didn't realise the main house was built later. We saw the plaque on the building to the right dated 1711.

[Lorrie Graham]

Hi Maggie,

Where can I see a picture of Grace Hall in it's Prime?  Are there any out there of Grace Hall of Dervock, Co Antrim as well?  Will be anxious to hear from you! 

Are you in agreement that the Dowglass' were Presbyterian?

Lorrie G

[Maggie Crow]

Hi Lorrie - you can find the picture of Grace Hall in the Places section of this site

http://douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/grace_hall.htm

but the picture was  taken within the last 15 years.  Still looks good though doesn't it!

As far as I understand the Dowglass' were Presbyterian . I don't know of another Grace Hall though, although I think there was a Charles Douglas living in Dervock around 1837, at the same time as Charles Douglas JP was living in Grace Hall in Antrim.  Good Luck with your investigations..