All Blog Posts (915)

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…

My father was Robert Kenneth Douglas, he was born here in the states.  His father was Donald Roy Clarence born Dec. 15, 1885 in Markham Township, York, Ontario.  His father was Kenneth Douglas and mother Alice Amelia (Dinnison) They were married Oct. 31, 1883 at Unioncville, Ontario.  I have been told that Alice died young at 32 and Kenneth remarried but we do not know who to and if their were any children.  Kenneth's father is Donald Douglas married to Elizabeth (Jackson).  I know they had…

I have just acquired a copy of Charles Henry Douglas's 'A Collection of Family records, with Biographical Sketches and other memoranda of various families and individuals bearing the name DOUGLAS, or allied families of that name,' published in 1879.

Can anyone tell how accurate they think the book is?…

Need photos of your American grandparents or great-grandparents? A great source of 20th century photos is the U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 database from Ancestry.com.  It is not going to work for everyone but if your ancestors lived in the United States and either immigrated in the 20th century or had the means to travel abroad you just may be in luck.

United States Passport…

7 September 1795 - The Scots Magazine.

The Circuit Court of Justiciary was opened at Dumfries on Monday last, by the Right Hon. Lord Justice Clerk and Lord Craig.

The Court, at nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, proceeded to the trial …

The Appin Murder is one of the most famous in Scottish history. In the aftermath of the ’45 Rebellion, lands which had belonged to Jacobite clans were taken over by the government and parcelled-out to supporters of the victorious House of Hanover.

One of these was Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure. Colin Roy (who came to be known as the “Red Fox”) had served in the Earl of Loudoun’s regiment during the Rebellion. He was subsequently made factor over certain lands of Appin, which had…

In The Journal of Sir William Brereton of Handforth, Cheshire, wirtten in 1635, it states:

Wee lodged in Glasgoaw in Mr. David Weymes house : his wifes 
name is Margrett Cambell (the wives in Scottland never change butt 
allwayes retaine their owne names) noe stabling hereunto belonging 

I have not seen this reference to married women's names before.  How true is this?

Names may have a number of variants, for example, Stephen and Steven can be Steve, Stephan or Steffan; Terry, Terrance, Terrence, Terence. Hannah or Hanna could be Ann, Annie, Nana or Nanny.

Many nicknames are used as given names, for example, Jack as a nickname for John and Jack as a given name in its own right; Harry as a nickname for Henry and Harry as an independent given name.

I have just found a useful list of names and their associated…

Should there be a Clan Douglas Gathering in 2014?

EventScotland has announced the early details of the funding opportunities to create Scotland's Homecoming celebrations in 2014. This announcement was made at the Scottish Tourism Week conference and included plans to make £3 Million available to support a wide range of Homecoming 2014 events.

The Homecoming…

I have been asked to identify which Douglas was sentenced to 48 hours in the black hole.

The diary of John Dawson of Brunton contains the brief entry:

[1761. March] 24. Tuesday. This morning I was president of a 

court martial held upon one. Douglass for abusing Sergeant Orrick 

and Corporal Smith : punishment…

For nearly 18 years Graham and Britton Douglas believed they were fraternal twins. That was until Britton needed a bone-marrow transplant because chemotherapy for his leukemia had failed.

The Fort Worth, Texas, brothers learned that they were identical twins, sharing the same DNA, and therefore Britton could not receive his brother's bone marrow because their genetic…

Imagine if you could listen to your great grandmother tell her life story! She talks about her childhood - where she lived, went to school; about meeting her grandparents; recounting her anecdotes, etc.

Now, fast forward to the next family meet up, and quizing family members about your genealogy quest. The chances are that they will demurr when asked if you can record…

Taz Douglas will graduate from the V8 Development Series to the premier Supercars championship in 2012 after inking a deal with Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.



28-year-old Douglas has spent the last four seasons in the tin-top feeder category, taking a best finish of 19th in the 2011 season. The former Victorian Formula Ford champion has also contested…

Tyrieshia Douglas (left), of Baltimore, failed to beat 2011 national champion Marlen Esparza on 18th February in the flyweight division at the U.S. women's Olympic boxing trials. It was her sixth bout in as many days, and tiredness may have played a part in her defeat.

Knowing that she is second best in the 112-pound flyweight class in the USA will be small comfort as…

Eighteenth century architect William Chambers' pavilion at Amesbury Abbey was commissioned by the Duchess of Queensbury.  It was constructed of trapped flint arranged in patterns, with deep projecting eaves and unglazed oval windows.

The Duchess was involved in every aspect of its…

The Borders family Bell may well descend from a Norman follower of David I who reigned until 1153 and was, by the end of the thirteenth century, well established in Dumfriesshire, Berwickshire and Perthshire.

Although the Bells were a Borders family, there are others of this name who are of Highland origin, and in that case, Bell is held to be a Sept of MacMillan.

Determining which surnames are septs of a clan is one of the prerogatives of the clan chief. Clan Douglas, while an…

Peter and John Douglas have put together a remarkable slideshow recording their grandfather's life.

The presentation on the life of sailing ship owner and sea captain, Harrison Douglas (1857-1919) covers sailing in the Pacific and Tasman during the 1880’s - 1915.…