Charles Whittingham Horsley Douglas was born at Cape Town on the 17 July 1850, and on his mother’s side (Caroline Hare, born at Cape Town in 1816) inherited a South African lineage dating back to at least 1807, when her father Captain Joseph Hare first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, and who was later also to serve as adjutant-general at the Cape. In addition Douglas’s grandmother, Sally Bird, was the daughter of the Cape Town merchant and philanthropist, William Wilberforce Bird, who also arrived at the Cape in 1807.
Douglas was appointed Adjutant of the London Scottish Volunteer Rifles on the 6 March 1886, and acted thus for the next four years. After a further short spell of regimental work he was chosen to be a Brigade Major at Aldershot in May 1893, and discharged staff duties until the 28 May 1895, whereupon he vacated the post, having been promoted to a Lieutenant-Colonelcy, albeit on half-pay. He returned to Aldershot (in Hampshire) on the 1 October 1895, as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General of the Division, also taking charge of the instruction of officers. Douglas was then appointed and Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria, with the rank of Colonel in the Army. Before the end of the month he became Assistant Adjutant-general at Aldershot, his promotion to colonel having facilitated such a position, and was to carry on in that capacity until October 1899, and the beginning of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War, whence he departed for South Africa as Assistant Adjutant-General on the Headquarters Staff of the ill-fated General Sir Redvers Buller, who apparently entertained the highest opinion of Douglas.
When the reorganization of commands was carried out in early 1900, Douglas was chosen to command a brigade, serving thus until the cessation of hostilities in 1902.
William Douglas
Charles Whittingham Horsley Douglas was born at Cape Town on the 17 July 1850, and on his mother’s side (Caroline Hare, born at Cape Town in 1816) inherited a South African lineage dating back to at least 1807, when her father Captain Joseph Hare first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, and who was later also to serve as adjutant-general at the Cape. In addition Douglas’s grandmother, Sally Bird, was the daughter of the Cape Town merchant and philanthropist, William Wilberforce Bird, who also arrived at the Cape in 1807.
Douglas was appointed Adjutant of the London Scottish Volunteer Rifles on the 6 March 1886, and acted thus for the next four years. After a further short spell of regimental work he was chosen to be a Brigade Major at Aldershot in May 1893, and discharged staff duties until the 28 May 1895, whereupon he vacated the post, having been promoted to a Lieutenant-Colonelcy, albeit on half-pay. He returned to Aldershot (in Hampshire) on the 1 October 1895, as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General of the Division, also taking charge of the instruction of officers. Douglas was then appointed and Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria, with the rank of Colonel in the Army. Before the end of the month he became Assistant Adjutant-general at Aldershot, his promotion to colonel having facilitated such a position, and was to carry on in that capacity until October 1899, and the beginning of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War, whence he departed for South Africa as Assistant Adjutant-General on the Headquarters Staff of the ill-fated General Sir Redvers Buller, who apparently entertained the highest opinion of Douglas.
When the reorganization of commands was carried out in early 1900, Douglas was chosen to command a brigade, serving thus until the cessation of hostilities in 1902.
May 15, 2012
William Douglas
Recent entries:
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Lists\marriages_south-afric...
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/hector_douglas2.html
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/james_gsd_Douglas.html
Aug 22, 2015
William Douglas
I have added a new report on the Douglas family in South Africa to the genealogy database which might prove helpful: http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/famgen/showreport.php?reportID=2&am...
Oct 17, 2016