All Blog Posts (931)

THE BANKRUPTCY ACT, 1861. ORDER OF DISCHARGE. In the County Court of Glamorganshire, holden at Swansea. TN the Matter of THOMAS TWIDLE DRYSDALE, of J_ Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, Ship-owner, Dealer, and Chapman: and lately a Partner in the firm of Drysdale and Bergh, of Swansea aforesaid, Ship Chandlers and Sail Makers, a Bankrupt: Whereas at a Public Sitting of the Court held this day the Court granted an Order of Discharge to the said Bankrupt, Notice is hereby given, that an…

The Balliol Roll, the earliest roll of arms for Scotland. It contains thirty-five shields of Scottish noblemen arranged beneath the arms of Sir Edward Balliol, king of Scots (c. 1282-1364), and was almost certainly composed for that ruler. Edward Balliol, the last of the Anglo-Scots, was the son of John de Balliol (King John of Scotland) and Isabella de…

How the MacKenzie-Douglas line came about

The Daughter of Sir Robert 6th Baronet of…

Chevalier Douglas, Alexandre-Pierre de Mackensie-Douglas, baron de Kildin, was a Scottish Jacobite in French service He was sent on a secret mission to Russia where he was to meet Empress Elizabeth and conspire with the pro-French faction against the Habsburg monarchy.

He was to be accompanied by a young woman, his 'neice', to provide cover for his…

Looking for a connection between the three Douglass, Thomas, William, and James, who in 1503 changed their surname to Drysdale to escape persecution, and James Drysdale, below.

My family tree shows a James Drysdale married to a Christine Curry (no dates) having five children, Henry, George, Janet, Agnes, and James Keith Drysdale. James Keith died 11/11/1917, and was married twice, first to Margaret Browne, then Mary Pearce. From the marriage with Mary Pearce,  they had three children,…

From time to time, the Douglas gypsy connection is raised.

Best known was Charlie Douglas (best known to me, anyway) who revelled in the title "King of the Gypsies", but there are other families.

Thomas Douglas, Tinker, thief. Resident of. Bannockburn, Stirlingshire was transported to America in…

On the 29th January in 1856, the Victoria Cross was instituted by H.M. Queen Victoria. The medal is the highest award for bravery that a British and Commonwealth serviceman can be presented. At the time of its institution it was written that the…

Contributed by Ben Moses (Pictured):  In 1964 Charlie Douglas was still working under his real name, Doug China, and was in management or sales at WINZ Radio in Miami when I started to work there as a part time DJ. I was in the Army at the…

Our congratulations go to:

• Susan DOUGLAS-SCOTT Chair, Independent Living Fund Scotland,  who was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Human Rights, Disability and LGBT Issues. (Prestwick, Ayrshire and Arran)

• David DOUGLAS, who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for public and political service 

But can't you Douglas help defend it from encroachment of industrialization by wind turbines, since you were overseeing it as Earls of Angus?

Do not think much of James V, he had a James Elwald which feel is one of my relatives hung. Of course today people call him James Elliot, and Douglas historians accuse him of killing a Cessford, likely I feel because the Douglas at this period of time where loosing power to the Bauld Buccleuch and the Ker of Cessford. 

James V also had Gilnockie hung which included his gallant company and among the  Eliot (ie Ellot Elwald).…

The chieftain line, the Elwald-Ellot-Eliott of Redheugh became of Redheugh, when land was passed from Archibald 'Bell the Cat' Douglas, fifth Earl of Angus to their family squire the clan chieftain a 10th Robert Elwald to be chief. 

Angus is Archibald 'Bell the Cat' Douglas, fifth earl of…

Renewed border skirmishing saw Henry Percy, future 3rd earl of Northumberland, defeated by Hugh Douglas, earl of Ormond, on 23 October 1448.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-37046361?fbclid=IwAR28fbqKcTXAGS0pH0HtX47lOefNbC6vX2RAQg4vEMkNi2jDodEJw-ntbc4 ;

It is always fun to discover hanky panky in the family history, and so it was not really a surprise to discover that the daughter of my 13th great-grandfather was a naughty girl, when not much more that her sixteenth birthday - she became the mistress of King James V.

Elizabeth Carmichael, also know as Katherine, bore the King a son, a son,…

Intrigued by the marriage between a Douglas and a Middleton, and wondering if there was a royal connection, I worked to find out who Rev M Middleton was, and indeed, who was Mr Douglas?

He appears to be James Alexander Douglas (abt 1762-1830), son of William Douglas and Mary Higginbotham.  James married Charlotte Douglass on 7th March 1796, in…

History of the first person in North Borneo on a motorcycle trip between Keningau, Melalap and Tambunan Road

Between 9th and 13th August 1928, an American Doctor by the named C G Campbell made a daring adventure when he took his Douglas motorcycle on a trip from Melalap to Keningau and Tambunan on an inspection…

Viewpark Conservation Group (VCG) wishes to acquire the Historic Douglas Support Estate, locally known as The Viewpark Glen through a Community buy-out. 

The Douglas Support Estate was in the ownership of the Douglas family for many generations, and forms part of the old Douglas lands of Lanarkshire. The current owners are descendants of the Douglas family, but are no longer Douglases.

The local community wishes to acquire the land to…

Some alarming facts have been added to Alexander Douglas-Douglas's Wikipedia profile.

Alexander was a naval officer, an explorer, a teamster, officer in the Native Police and a chief inspector of police in Queensland. And, it his time with the police that has been called into question.

Douglas was appointed Acting Sub-Inspector at…

An attractive motet setting for five voices (SA(orT)TTB) of Psalm 126 by a little-known Scottish composer of the mid…

Are you a descendant of the Douglas families of Bonjedward or Timpendean?

Douglas of Bonjedward has featured in a couple of recent articles, the Skirmish at Sclaterford, which followed the disaster at Flodden, in 1513, and the Raid of the Redeswire in 1575.

However, linking the correct Douglas to these events is not proving easy.

I am grateful to Sally Douglas for re-visiting this, but maybe others have researched their families and have some additional…