Hi Ken well wouldn't it be great if we found our connection there but I guess all Douglases are linked the Sir James / Black douglas , wouldn't it be as his father is where the name started in Scotland ? I hope you find your physician anscestor , would have been interesting times in medicine ! do you know is there a sept for the Douglas Stewarts ; or those Douglas that married Stewarts or Stuarts and V V ? I have no ideas where to start to find the link between the black douglas / sir James Douglas and I only have late 1700s Douglas Stewarts . not having time to get into research on anscestry sites I'm hoping someone can give me a little info .I did list before my G G Grandmother Margaret Douglas Stewart ; she married a Rust late 1700-early 1800 Deeside aberdeen and we are descended from the Black douglas and royalty , written in a book ,but thats all I have I'm hoping someone whos connected will read this sometime and email me jstoddard@actrix.co.nz or send me a message on this site thanks Jackie

I do not know if you will even receive this as I am still trying to puzzle out the site - but here goes. A long shot maybe but I am trying to track down the family bible, connect with relatives unknown in New Zealand who are also researcging the DOuglas family and in particular my line - what ever that is. The reason that you are one whom I have written to is because of the common names. My mothers cousin was Morton Douglas born Dunedin NZ, my mothers Uncle was David Douglas and my great grandfather was Alexander Douglas.

Mum also had a cousin Ian Douglas who now resides in Auckland but apparently has withdrawn from family contact.

Should any of this seem familiar to you then I would be most interested in hearing from you.

My family claimed descent from the Black Douglas and apparently the Earls of Morton.

Kind regards

Graeme Thomas

Hi Ken

Many thanks for the reply - Yes I would love to be able to tie up the many missing links to see just who we were related to and what line we came down.

Mum was quite sure that we were descended from the Black Douglas's and the Earls of Morton but somehow I think this was fanciful thinking based on Romanticism! I may be wrong though. There just does not seem to be any definitive proof!

I am hoping that someone will recognize my great grandfather and be able to place him into their family tree via his sisters.

I do know that they must have been reasonably 'well off' as my Great grandfather owned small ships, schooners or scows and by trade was an engineer with a first mates ticket. When he first came to the South seas I  understand he may have operated out of Fiji doing salvage and diving work and later after he arrived in Dunedin, NZ became a foreman for the Otago Harbour Board, built a Gold Dredge for someone and was also instrumental in the construction of the Balclutha railway bridge. His name was Alexander Douglas.

Your Australian relative is more than welcome to get in touch.

I must have relatives also descended from the Douglas's in Auckland. Some of them will go by the name Douglas, some by the name Gouk (David Gouks shipyard - he married my Great grandfathers sister) and by the name Ross (Another sister married a Ross) - plus other names unknown.