Actually, this is how far I can go back on my genealogy:

Thank you for the kind welcome.   I am looking over the site and I have some comments to make for sure.

Yes..of Scotland.  My sister found our connection through Hopkins and Beggs.  I'm still fresh in all this but she stumbled upon our connection in her research.  It's very interesting to read all the stories.

Hi

I have tried to go back further

I am stuck at James Douglass born about  1730-1733 based on apprenticeship in 1747.

I have checked more records in England and Scotland, but there is nothing to tie any baptism to my James.

Assuming that the family myth is correct that we originate in Scotland then the best bet might be to trawl wills in the hope of establishing a connection. Ideas gratefully received. Bob

Hi William

Thanks for your welcome.

In answer to your question, my family still live in Scotland but I moved to France some 12 years ago and work here as a Translator (legal, technical documents, etc.).

My geneological research efforts are a bit sporadic but if anyone has any information about my great-grandfather (John Douglas), who left Rothesay about 1874 and reappeared ((age 41) in 1900, it would be welcome. I know he was in the USA (possibly Boston) and worked as an "engine fitter", but did he have a family there before starting our own back in Scotland?

The rest of my reasearches regarding his parents, siblings, etc., have all been reasonably straightforward with all the commonly used Scottish Douglas male forenames (William, James, John, Walter, Archibald) regularly cropping up, but the "lost" 26 years intrigue me.

Regards John Douglas

Thank you William!
I can see this is a very interesting site :) Looking forward to read here.

best regards Kåre

Thank you for the welcome, William!

I'm still working on my Breckenridge line, but my earliest known ancestor is John Breckenridge b. 1639 in Breadalbane, Scotland.

It's my understanding (and I'm very new to Scottish/Scotch Irish genealogy) from reading the "Septs of Clan Douglas" (Clan Douglas Society of North America) that this family is considered one of the Douglas Septs. It is my hope to further my research and find the exact connection to the clan.

Thank you for the welcome, William.  I will defintiely look into the Drysdale group.

William, incredulous as it sounds, I have reasons to believe it is true, or at least close to true, that John L. Drysdale lived to the age of 126. you will not find him on anyone's list, however.  I have tried, and am now wondering why not. 

In fact, this man is the very reason, if truth be known, that I have joined this clan group.  Although not a Drysdale by blood - in fact, it is my EX husband who carries that name, I have been researching family history/genealogy for our daughter for 5 years now, and this old fellow, John L. Drysdale, my daughter's 3rd great grandfather, is my dead-end as well as the greatest enigma in a family tree that now encompasses over 7,000 individuals.

My daughter, who always identified with the Irish side (from my Chicago-based O'Brien family), had no idea, until doing a high schol research project on the various "Celtic" influences in early American history and thus attending her first Highland Games festival in Jacksonville, FL, that the Drysdales were a sept of Clan Douglas.  So I am hoping that someone here may be able to send me off in the right direction. 

As for old John, I know when he died (1922) and where (and will be visiting West Virginia at the end of Feb to check out some things), and our US census documents for 1900, 1910 and 1920 all consistently identify his age.  Typically, according to those who reserach and validate other supercentenarians, when one is fabricating dates or is unsure, those dates change frequently.  That is not the case with our Drysdale progenitor.  He was very "sharp" until the end of his life, walking daily and swimming regularly, paying attenton to news and politics and taking pride in voting, even though he was in his 70s when he emigrated from Canada to the US.  He is one of those "not unheard of" extreme elderly to have had his eyesight restore itself and to have "cut a third set of teeth" - in his case around the age of 100.  I have also learned that the tendency to cut these "supernumerary" teeth is hereditary, as is the tendency towards extreme longevity.  So I am hoping these bioological facts may also help someone identify possible connections to Mr. Drysdale's origins in the Galloway area circa 1796. 

Supposedly, too, he ran away at age 7, stowed aborad ship and arrived in New York (abt 1804-05).  He was, of course, sent "home," but I don't know where that is.  He married at age 15 (circa 1811), had a son (name unknown), and he buried his first wife (also unknown) in Scotland when he was 16 years old.  He then "went to sea for 35 years."

I am wondering if the phrase "did duty for 20 years" implies he was a seaman in the Royal Navy and then continued as a mercahnt sailor for another 15 years? Apparently he participated in a whaling voyage to Greenland and was a member of Capt. Sir John Franklin's second (mostly overland) expedition to explore and chart the Arctic Coast of Canada and hopefully (finally) find the Northwest Passage.  That would have been 1825-27, so I have to assume he would have done so as an able-bodied seaman, though this could be an erroneous assumption on my part.  His name does not appear in Franklin's own published account of this journey (a best-seller in 1828), but then, as an "ordinary" seaman, the officers and "gentlemen" greatly discounted the personhood of those who helped keep them alive. 

I am trying to locate a mustert list for this expedition.  Much is known about Franklin's tragic final "lost" journey in 1845.  I have seen those lists and John Drysdale is not among them.  Not that it would have made any sense for him to have been there anyway, unless he walked out of the Arctic alone and never revealed his story to anyone.

So I have MUCH to verify in my search for old Mr. Drysdale.  His life is intriguiing, and he is the key to my daughter's connectig back to her origianl Scottish ancestors.  When she visited Scotland 6 years ago, she suddently realized that he

Sorry. I guess I got boxed out of that lengthy comment below.  Suffice it to say, my daughter learned that she obviously sports far more "Scottish heritage" in her genetic markers than she ever did from my Irish clan.  She is very proud of this, too.  And since she will deliver her first child this spring, I am doubly interested in pushing this research forward.

I welcome any comments, suggestions, or companions on this journey.

Best wishes to all,

Kate

I guess I should also repost this to the Drysdale group.

Thanks for adding me

I have little info to go on as I was adopted.....i will have to obtain more info first re birth/marriage certs

at the moment my only knowledge of oldest family member is my grandfather. William Lynn Douglass born oct 18, 1929 in san francisco CA. His fathers name was frank douglass. i have a family member i can get ahold of for more information, but at the moment that as far as i know but i definetly will be looking into it.

That website is for another researcher but also ends with Alexander and Margaret.  I also found a 3rd cousin that also cannot get past the Alexander and Margaret.  Anything you can help with would be great.  I you want the files I have let me know.  I think they are in my profile or blog.

Thank you for the information that has been very helpful , and thank you for allowing me to become a member .  Yes you are correct, it is the Douglas family from Dunbarton. and the link I am looking for is Archibald Douglas Bryce's Grandfather Archibald Douglas and his sister Janet Douglas. Who were their parents, did he have a title, where did they live?

Janet Douglas married Robert Hay on 1 Aug 1764 in New Kilpatrick Dunbarton. Does anyone know how he was ???

hi, william.Thanks for accepting me.My family Tree Links to James Douglas of Scotland.I have a brother named Robert and my son's name is Arthur.Family names here in Fiji is linked to most of the douglas names in scotland.my grandfathers name is Edward Douglas and my greatgranfathers name is charles rudolf douglas and my greatgrandmother is lilian edith Mcconell.I would also be very glad to know if i have families linked to me who lives overseas.Looking foward to know more of my family tree/geneology if i am linked to any of the douglas families because i was born here in fiji with family bonds overseas and would be greatful to meet families online...

Thomas Douglass New Fairfeild Conn. Born around 1750 son Ebenezer

Hi William thanks for accepting me and for the link. I have recently posted on rootschat so hoping someone can help me out there. Started working backwards and mapping the whole Douglas line from William Douglas, Lord of Douglas to hopefully make the connection. May take a while though.

Hi William Douglas,

 Well I have the DNA results! They are posted kit # 241410 an I2b1 Haplogroup. Please look at it... I know very little about DNA. Can you tell from this if I have "Black Douglas Blood" in me?

Douglas Sean Roe

I have absolutely no idea who I belong to clan / line wise but have always wondered and want to know more of my bloodline as I am one of the last Douglas left in my family

steve

My father was Anthony John Douglas of Oxford 08/12/28, I did`nt know my grandfather but his name was John Douglas, middle name if he had one is not known at present, my father was born in Oxford and had 2/3 brothers and 2/3 sisters and he was the youngest, my grandfathers birth date and place of birth I do not know.

Steve

Hi William.  Im a member of this site and when I joined you had sent a comment regarding the black Douglas line and the Drysdales.  More recently you had a discussion regarding Mary Drysdale and her line.  I am a direct descendant of Mary Drysdale of the Vale of Devon, who is in tern a direct descendant of Thomas Douglas of the three brothers Thomas William and James Douglas.  I haven't had any DNA testing however several of us descending from Edwin Haigh whose grandmother was Mary Drysdale, have been very interested in our heritage to include the Douglas/Drysdale.  Now I have seen updates of the same document but that went to different family members and my most recent was reprinted for my gr gr grandfather Edwin Haig, reprinted in Apr. 1911.  I have seen reprints more recent but not on our immediate family line.   This document is one which is used to prove our lineage although I know and want to do DNA testing.    

thanks William will study  what you have sent the Douglas Archives has opened up a new world to me all info i had been given was from my cousin Ethel who has been working on both sides of the family tree pleasure to be in contact with other members hopefully we will be in contact again    

Thanks William, I won't next time! 

Hi William, Thank you for your reply to my request. this helps us, and we will be able to adjust our inforamtion accordingly. Best wishs, Lesley (Dubbo NSW Australia)

Yes, but I am not sure if I am doing this correctly ?https://www.facebook.com/CadKenD

 In re:

who is this?  http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?artist_id=drysda... 

George Russell Drysdale , English born  Australian Artist , knighted in 1969 . You have posted about him in the Drysdale Sept group before William .

Thank you for the welcome William and yes I am Sue Elliott's aunt.  We have been working together on our genealogy but have been stuck for many years. Hope someone can get us going again!  Pam

Herman Douglas

Born Aug 1889 West Charleston NH

Died Oct 1981 Malone NY

Father George Douglas??

Herman is my grandfather

Thank you for the welcome.  I  have been aware of Sylvia Snipps' research for a little while but the size and complexity of your website has been quite daunting!  I am the great-great-granddaughter of Mary Ann Douglas, the daughter of Primrose Douglas.  I will write to Sylvia now.  Connie Williams

Hi William!

Great Migration of Puritans from England to New England (1620–1643)

I will be there, along with three others to enjoy some of the events!  Looking forward to it, and meeting you then.

Thank you for responding so quickly. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Douglas Clan Gathering although it would be the perfect special time to experience Scotland for the first time.

Although I do not know the dates, you very likely may be referring to my grandfather, Howard Jasper Douglass, who was born in Patriot, Indiana, and I think died in an elderly care facility in Brandon, Florida, near where my Aunt Janet used to live. My grandmother's name was Clara Ina Wood Douglass.

My father's name was Howard Wood Douglass, his sister was Janet Douglass Miles.  If I am correct, my father was born in Madison, Indiana, or at least lived there as a child.

While my Aunt Janet took it upon herself to be the family historian, much of what she may have known about our ancestry was not passed along to her survivors. She may even have been in contact with you at some point but I do not know any details about her research.

Please let me know if you have anymore information. I am currently attempting to acquire more information from my cousins in the meantime.


Best regards,

Cyndia

I have 4 Edward Douglass in my line, one died (the most recent) in Tennessee. The other three are my 8th, 9th, and 10th great grandfathers. With 3rd(1644-1698), 2nd(1590-1657), and 1st(Bef 1590-Bef1644). All should be buried in Northhampton County, VA. But some sites (Geni.com) says they were born in Norwich, England; while ancestry.com says Scotland.

Thank you so much. Was Douglas and Morton the same family at one time???

Hi William
no problems
Robert

Thanks William http://www.urbanfarm.ie/

Hi, William.

It's actually this group right here:

http://douglashistory.ning.com/forum/topics/samuel-douglas-s-b-scot...

Hello William.

Thank you so much for accepting me into your group. The spelling variation in my name came about between 1820-70 I believe. My three times great-grandfather Jean or John was a Drysdale and his sons became Drisdèle/Drisdell/Drisdelle onward. The province of New Brunswick is bilingual and the Drysdale's eventually all settled in French speaking regions which is why the spelling changed.

Sounds like a different Douglas although he shares the same name as my grandfather. My Grandfather was James Hill Douglas and lived in Belfast. Worked as a mechanic although not trained professionally, in Belfast. Worked for a steelworks company called Sirrocco. Sadly he died a good few years ago after a stroke. Tragic loss to the family as he was the greatest man I have ever met. 

But thank you for the info. I only found this site a few hours ago after seaching for a little bit of history. 

Thanks for your welcome  to my joining, William.

It is going to take a while for me to give any detailed responses, and much of what I know comes from my sister-in-law who is the real person who has researched all this, but:

I believe General Sir John Primrose Douglas was the cousin of my father Charles Primrose Douglas (1921-2005).  I know my parents used to see him occasionally when they lived in the UK.  I have a feeling that, given the propensity of our branch to call fathers and sons the same names and seeing the date of birth of this JPD, there may be father and  son John Primrose Douglases, father and son, while we have just one listed.  I'll ask my mother a bit more. 

My sister-in-law told me our Primrose name came from an Ann Primrose from Aberdeen, who married one of our ancestors.  Looking at his detailed posting  on 18th & 19th century Douglases in February 2014, I suspect that I am therefore distantly related to John Clark of New Zealand who may be the ?grandson of my great-uncle, a male Douglas we have listed as having died in an earthquake in Napier, New Zealand (we have no more information).

I will get back to you when I know more - or may enlist my sister-in-law!

Follow-up:  I don't think the Sir should have crept in to the below posting about General John Primrose Douglas  Sorry!

Hi William,

That was my grandfather. He lived in Bonne Terre, MO. My father's name was Ernest Vetal Douglas. I wish I could track our line back to Scotland, but haven't been able to do that. I did live in Dunoon, Scotland for a couple of years and saw a portrait of Sir James Douglas hanging in Inverary Castle that looked almost exactly like one of my uncles. I remain fascinated with the history of the Douglas lines from medieval times on.