All Blog Posts (900)

Just before 3am on 12 May 1824, a crew of Guards officers, wearing red and white broad striped jackets, straw hats and loose trousers, took to the water at Oxford’s Folly Bridge in a six-oared wherry. Among them was Edward Douglas, later Baron Penrhyn (left).

They had come together to decide a bet between Captain Charles Short of the Coldstream Guards and…

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 recognises the outstanding achievements of people across the United Kingdom.

Our congratulations go to:

Jonathan David DOUGLAS, Chief Executive, National Literacy Trust, who has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Education in London

and

Erskine Decourtney DOUGLAS who has been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to Finance in London. He is an Accredited…

Much of my research is in response to questions raised by researchers seeking information about their ancestors.  But from time to time I find myself assisting with background research for a book.

Douglas House School

Last week, I was asked about Mrs Owen-Williams, owner and head teacher of the Douglas House School, also known as the Old Vicarage, in Malvern, Worcestershire.  My interest was immediately aroused, because earlier in the week I had resumed my…

After reading  William Douglas blog titled ''The white child slaves from Aberdeen''  made me think  about a passage I had read about  branding ''beggaris'' [beggars]  although  the below wasn't the same source as what I had originally read , it does cover beggars, children as well as men between jobs Colliers etc , and the Enablers of these practices of Scots enslaving Scots- BTW- no…

Col Robert MacDonald of Inchkenneth married Mary Douglas of Grantham in January 1801.  She was the daughter of Thomas Douglas, who originally engaged in mercantile pursuits (He worked in the cotton industry), he went on to reside at Grantham in Lincolnshire. Served as High Sheriff of that County in 1776.



He bred racehorses and was well…

Among the more harrowing tales in the Douglas Archives are the references to indentured servants, often children.

Image used for illustration - it is not being suggested that these children were slaves.



The main money-making crops in colonial Georgia were tobacco, indigo and rice, all of which required intensive manual labour. Indentured servitude…

I have long been aware of the Douglas of Cavers links to important religious matters.

The 'Good Lady of Cavers'  was imprisoned in Stirling Castle in 1682 for her religions beliefs.

Today, I learned that James Douglas of Cavers paid for a printing of the New Testament (in Rome?) in 1849.

This is probably the same James has…

The Earls of Douglas were of the Liddesdale more of the Middle March. (does beg a response)

https://books.google.com/books?id=nFr7oQEACAAJ&pg=PA154-IA1&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

Built on the former Douglas estate of Bonjedward, the 'new' house is back on the market.  A chance for a Douglas family to bring it back into clan hands, maybe?

Bonjedward House is a magnificent listed Georgian house dating from the latter stages of the 18th century. Built for Archibald Jerdon of Bonjedward and later the seat of the Dowager Marchioness…

Whether or not I agree with the President of the United States sentiments, the fact is that tearing down the statue of Frederick Douglass is yet another act of vandalism that is shaming the world.

The statue of the renowned Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass was torn from its base in a park in Rochester, N.Y., and then dumped some 50 feet…

If you are looking for a low ost way to manage your family tree, this Excel version might meet your needs:  …

James Gavin was a prominent Covenanter in contrast to the Douglas family who were prominent Episcopalian. In fact the church of Scotland sent several sharp reminders to the Douglases that they were to cease their adherence to Episcopalianism. However James 2nd Marquis of Douglas got round this problem by promoting tolerance both to Episcopalians and Presbyterians in the 1660's. This happy accommodation did not last.

James Gavin fled the Dragoons and hid in a small cave to the West of…

"Clan maps only show a certain point in time - but this one is different! https://youtu.be/Z19OF8cgRQk"

This picture from Pont shows how Douglas Castle may have looked in 1596 when the map for Lanarkshire was created. The late Professor McClean from Dundee thought that Pont Map had an element of accuracy about them. What is to be seen is a couple of towers with wall between them with gateway. The larger of the towers possibly had a Renaissance style Cupola. The other Castle is Parkhead which also belonged to the Douglas family. There was a castle here at Parkhead from the…

Thomas Gainsborough  (1727 – 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. One of his sitters was Frances Browne, Mrs John Douglas, who appears to be born in 1741 and died in 1811.

The portrait hangs in Waddesdon Hall, the property of the Rothschild Family.

Also in…

James Douglas was the 14^th Earl of Morton, a Scottish peer dedicated to science with a keen interest in astronomy.  He was a founding member and President of the Society for Improving Arts and Sciences in Edinburgh, and elected as President of the Royal Society in London in 1763. 

On the eve of…

Something to consider and could use input on. The Douglas of Glendinnig, could originally be Glendowin. Since Glendinning was in the area to the west, and became predominately know, the Doulgas of Glendowin, became the Douglas of Glendinning.

In 2013, I was informed by a young woman of details of her family.

I included these in the Douglas Archives, in good faith.

Last night she sent me an email informing me that her family circumstances were not as she had provided them, and asked me to remove them.

It transpires that she had made a marriage 'contract' on the basis of her connection to a prominent Scottish family, and this had proved to be false.

Was I duped, and used to promote a false identity? Or…