William Douglas's Blog – April 2012 Archive (6)

I have received an enquiry as to whether Lady Gertrude Douglas, founder, in 1891, of The Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, has any descendants.

Lady Gertrude Georgina Douglas, 1842-93) was a daughter of the seventh Marquis of Queensberry (1818-58) and an older sister of Lady Florence Dixie.  She wrote under her male pseudonym, George Douglas,  Scottlsh regional fiction aimed at the 1870's library market, mainly publlshed by Tinsley.

The tone of her novels is…

When the boiler exploded aboard the steamer Sultana on April 27, 1865, more than 1,700 people lost their lives. Most of those aboard were recently released Union prisoners from Confederate prisons in Cahaba, Alabama, and Andersonville, Georgia. They were en route from Camp Fiske in Mississippi to Camp Chase, Ohio, but the explosion occurred only a few hours into the journey.

In addition to the…

Robert Douglas (1727–1809) was a Scottish-born soldier who replaced Ludwig Ernst von Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern as governor of the garrison city of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in 1784. He was major-general from 1778 and commander of the city from 1780 to 1794.

His biography is now available in our Book Store.…

Peter Douglas, longtime executive director of the California Coastal Commission who spent a career fighting to rein in development along one of the world's most alluring coastlines, has died. He was 69.

Douglas died Sunday at his sister's home in the desert resort town of La Quinta, about 115 miles east of Los Angeles. He had battled lung cancer and stepped down from the helm of the commission last November because of his declining health.

"He was a remarkable person and a…

Letters My Grandfather Wrote Me: Family Origins

By Bryan Crawford

Remarkable research endeavour enables author to trace the roots of his family back to 300 B. C. revealing a rich history and an unexpected…

Piping Live!, the Glasgow International Piping Festival will be back from 6-12 August. 

We’re looking for Douglas pipers to join the World’s Biggest Pipe-a-long!

Watch the video of Roddy MacLeod  to give you details of playing ‘When the Pipers Play’.

All we need you to do is film yourself playing…