The Douglas Archives

A collection of historical and genalogical records

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New Years Honours - 2011

We congratulate Mrs Margaret Douglas who has been awarded a MBE, in Her Majesties New Year Honours, for voluntary service to the Riding Group for the Disabled, South Hams.

Added by William Douglas on December 31, 2010 at 17:26 — No Comments

Thought for the day

From translation of  a poem by John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen  written in 1375  about the " Good Sir James ", the Black Douglas '
 
' In all his deeds was Douglas true;
For nothing would he have to do
with treachery, nor with a lie
His heart was set on honour high …
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Added by William Douglas on December 23, 2010 at 10:30 — No Comments

Festive Greetings

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at…

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Added by William Douglas on December 19, 2010 at 17:09 — 1 Comment

John Douglas of Newcastle

We have known for sometime that Elizabeth, daughter of John Douglas of Newcastle married William Douglas, 12th Laird of Cavers (d1698).  However, who is this John Douglas?

 

Today, I came across this reference:

We possess an unrecorded chapter in connexion with the water supply of old Newcastle. Before the arrangement between William Grey, author of the ^^Chorographia," and the Corporation in 1647, there can be no doubt that the Newcastle people drew their main…

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Added by William Douglas on December 16, 2010 at 22:39 — 2 Comments

Coal mining in Spitzbergen, 1906

A researcher has sent me the following:

The Earl of Morton had several Arctic interests, as far as I can see. He and Alexander Bruce Hugh, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh had major shares in the little known Spitzbergen Coal and Mineral Ltd of London before Morton became involved in the Spitzbergen Mining and Exploration Syndicate in 1906. His third son, Archibald Roderick Sholto, was also a shareholder in the latter. Then there were shares in Arctic Ltd, but I have no idea what that…

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Added by William Douglas on December 14, 2010 at 10:52 — 2 Comments

Alexander Douglas (1585 - 1661)

I am interested to know if anyone has any information about Alexander Douglas who was born in Scotland and crossed the border and settled in Reath, Yorkshire in 1603 and later married Lenox Langdale.

I understand that he was descended from the Morton line, which would go some way to explaining why I have the christian name Morton and that for generations it has been passed down to the male heirs.

Ken Douglas

Added by Kenneth David Morton Douglas on December 13, 2010 at 1:46 — 2 Comments

Far East biographies - help needed

Can anyone add anything to the following biographies?


DOUGLAS, Francis William (KINTA),
Secretary of the Sanitary Board; b. Dec. 31, 1874. Joined service at Perak, 1895 ; acting assistant District Magistrate, Tanjong Malim, 1896; acting District Officer, Kuantan, 1897; acting Distiict Officer, Temerloh, 1898 ; acting-Superintendent, Ulu Pahang, 1898 ; assistant Distiict Magistrate, Tanjong Malim, 1899 ; acting Forest Officer, Perak, 1900; acting assistant…
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Added by William Douglas on December 9, 2010 at 10:00 — No Comments

Writing for Wikipedia - why?

I spent a couple of hours last night writing an article for Wikipedia. This might seem strange when I am so far from completing many articles for The Douglas Archives. But, somehow, the two sometimes seem to go together.


Many of the full Wikipedia 'nobility' articles written about the Douglas family were just one liners when I first started contributing. Now, someone, or probably lots of someones, has added to them and built a full biography. This information then flows…
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Added by William Douglas on December 8, 2010 at 13:15 — No Comments

Searching for ancestors? Need help in Galloway?

Recently joined member, Bob Henry, is offering to help with searches in south west Scotland, particularly in Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire - even perhaps Dumfriesshire.


I have recently seen evidence of his work on ancestors of Sir William Douglas of Castle Douglas and am impressed with his achievements.


If you are looking for help in that area, bob is your…
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Added by William Douglas on November 24, 2010 at 20:29 — No Comments

Kate Middleton - The Douglas Connection

Kate and William When the engagement of William, Prince of Wales to Miss Kate Middleton was announced, it was inevitable that genealogists should get to work. Is there a connection, we want to know.


Someone who had already done his homework was the genealogist William A. Reitwiesner.


Sadly, William A. Reitwiesner, died on Friday 12 November 2010, only 56 years old. His works included The American ancestors and relatives of Lady Diana Frances Spencer…
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Added by William Douglas on November 17, 2010 at 11:00 — 2 Comments

Research myths

He was 11 years old(1695) when he went to London, where his Uncle who had a thriving business offered his inheritance to John, as he had no children. John did not find his Uncle, so went down to look at the ships. He was grabbed on a man of war ship, and ended up in Boston, indentured.


From time to time, I receive enquiries with stories like this attached. There must, I suppose, be some truth in them, but are they all true? Sadly, I doubt…
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Added by William Douglas on November 16, 2010 at 12:02 — No Comments

Douglas crests

I have been asked a question about the crests used by the Douglas family. I thought that this might be useful...

Added by William Douglas on October 29, 2010 at 10:42 — 2 Comments

Major James Douglas.

Can anyone help with the connection of James Douglas born 25th September 1768 at Springwood Park

to Admiral Sir James Douglas(1704-1787) of Springwood Park.

Sir James Douglas was married three times and his first wife was a Dutch lady called Uranie Marteilhe.

My James Douglas was a Major in the East India Company and also married to a Dutch lady

Atcha Babee.  His four children were born in Bombay.

He died at Edenside Kelso in 1819 I think, because his will…

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Added by stephen light on October 24, 2010 at 19:30 — 5 Comments

Curious links

This morning, I received a message from someone in Mexico, who was telling me about a fountain in Nacozari, Sonora, where he lives. This town was apparently founded by James Douglas in the late XIX Century. In the early 1920s, his son, James S. Douglas built a fountain as a monument in honour of his father. This fountain still stands today in the plaza in front of the Town Hall. It is a replica of a fountain in Dijon, Paris. James S. Douglas went to Paris in 1919 and brought with him the…
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Added by William Douglas on October 13, 2010 at 12:47 — No Comments

Robert Douglas, Governor of Bois-le-Duc

On 14 October 1784, Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern ( 1718-1788) laid down all his offices and left Bois-le-Duc to its new governor, Robert Douglas.


Who is this Robert Douglas?


In the picture below, Robert is on the left.




Any additional information on this event would be…

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Added by William Douglas on September 30, 2010 at 15:02 — 1 Comment

The Lady in the mask tells her story

Davinia nee Turrell It is one of the most haunting images of the 7/7 terrorist attacks on London – Davinia Turrell clutching a burns dressing to her face as she fled Edgware Road Tube station.…


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Added by William Douglas on September 29, 2010 at 11:25 — No Comments

Douglas statue unveiled

Tommy Douglas statue Sculptor Lea Vivot lovingly embraces her creation, a sculptor of Tommy Douglas, at the artwork's unveiling in Weyburn,Saskatchewan on September 10, 2010. Tommy was Premier of Saskatchewan.…

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Added by William Douglas on September 25, 2010 at 19:00 — No Comments

Crocodile Hunter Malcolm Douglas Killed in Car Crash

Australian documentary maker Malcolm Douglas, known in the industry as the original crocodile hunter and the man who managed to match, if not surpass, TV documentary legend Steve Irwin was killed on Thursday at the Wilderness Wildlife Park in Broome, after the 4x4 he was driving hit a tree.



The body of the filmmaker was supposedly found caught in between the tree and his car, with the police ruling the death as accidental. The causes of the accident are however not clear at… Continue

Added by William Douglas on September 24, 2010 at 18:30 — 2 Comments

Douglas-Scotti and the origins of the Douglas family

Sholto Douglas was the mythical Progenitor of Clan Douglas, a powerful and warlike family in Medieval Scotland. A Mythical battle took place: "in 767, between King Solvathius rightful king of Scotland and a pretender Donald Bane. The victory was so nearly Donald's when a certain noble man, disdaining to see so bad a cause have good successe, struck in for the king and turned the fortunes of the day. When the king inquired about the knight who had done such valuable service, somebody exclaimed… Continue

Added by William Douglas on September 21, 2010 at 15:13 — 1 Comment

Ephraim Douglas - Indian Peacemaker

I was doing some research for Amy Walden, when I came across a reference to Adam Douglas, who emigrated to America in about 1765. Adam was father to Brigadier General Ephraim. Who was he, I wondered?


A quick trawl of the internet revealed an extraordinary story.


In 1783, there were a number of Indian attacks. Some of the frontiersmen suspected that these raids were…
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Added by William Douglas on September 16, 2010 at 12:17 — No Comments

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Making conections

The more information you can give about the people you mention, the more chance there is of someone else connecting with your family.

Dates and places of births, deaths and marriages all help to place families.

Professions also help.

'My great-grandmother mother was a Douglas from Montrose' does not give many clues to follow up! But a bit of flesh on the bones makes further research possible. But if we are told who she married, what his profession was and where the children were baptised, then we can get to work.

Maybe it is time to update the information in your profile?


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