William Douglas's Blog (611)

Teenager Rachel Douglas was among 1,800 millworkers from Ferguslie Thread Mills, which was owned by JP Coats, travelled from Paisley to Portpatrick, Wigtonshire, on July 3, 1909 to enjoy a Sma' Shot Day trip. The workers went on 3 trains from Paisley Canal railway station to get to Dunskey Estate in the village for picnics and sports but Rachel, who had travelled with her…

I am attempting to identify William Douglass.  He is described as a Scotchman, and the nephew of Francis Jerdone, He married Mary, daughter of William Christian and Susan Browne.

Virginia Gazette and Weekly Advertiser (Nicolson),

Richmond, January 11, 1787.

Ten Guineas Reward. RUNAWAY from Providence Forge in New Kent county JIM or JAMES, a light coloured mulatto, a blacksmith by trade, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high, bow legged, a likely well made fellow, has lost…

Political historian Dr Amy Blakeway explores the dangers and challenges facing those who acted as regent during the minority of a king or queen in sixteenth-century Scotland.

When we think of the sixteenth century, most of us immediately remember the famous monarchs who ruled throughout Europe: in Scotland, the Stewarts, and, further afield, their English cousins the Tudors and French relations the Valois.

The reality was somewhat different. For fifty years of the sixteenth…

Congratulation to Elijah Douglas, who took firsts in the long jump (22 feet, 2.75 inches), 110-meter hurdles (14.61 seconds) and 300 hurdles (39.07), where he edged Lockport's Jake Porter (39.12) in Chicago at the weekend.

The Douglas Archives now exceed 8,000 files. The genealogy database exceeds 170,000 entries.  Moving to a more modern format has become even more difficult!

Attempting to trace Douglases who lived in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, I came across the following:

In Oct 1977, The Glasgow Herald reported that Mr James Charleson Douglas, 20 Back Road. Dailly, an 83-year old Ayrshire man, who was married on March 2, 1928 was granted a divorce from Mrs Janet Douglas, address unknown. At the time of the marriage, Mr Douglas was serving with the palestine police. They lived together for a year.

For sale on eBay April 2015:

Pair of Medals with…

Cora E. Douglas, age 101, of LaFollette passed away Monday, March 23, 2015. Oldest member of East LaFollette Baptist Church. Preceded in death by husband, Rev. H. R Douglas; parents, Horace M. & Martha Manervia Marsee Moyers; children, Mary Ruth Summers, Lora June England, Joyce Ann Douglas; several brothers and sisters.

Survivors:

Daughters: Georgia…

Banished is a British drama television serial created by Jimmy McGovern. The seven-part serial first aired on 5 March 2015 on BBC Two and was inspired by events in the eighteenth century when Britain established a penal colony in Australia.

Set in the first penal colony founded by the British in New South Wales, Australia, in the year 1788; in which the British convicts live alongside…

Walter Douglas, a member of the Essex Scottish Regiment, 2nd Division out of Windsor, was awarded France's highest award of distinction.

The National Order of the Legion of Honour was given to Canadian veterans who fought for the liberation of France on D-Day and in the battle of Normandy to acknowledge the 70th anniversary of the campaign in 2014.

Can…

Emily Louisa Jane Douglas (1867-1960) 93

Emily Louisa Jane Douglas was born 3 September 1867 in Yass, New South Wales, Australia to David Douglas (1832-1887) and Margaret Duffy (1832-1919) and died 2 July 1960 in Bondi, New South Wales, Australia of unspecified causes. She married Harry Hinton Baglin (1866-1915) 1 January 1890 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Sholto George Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton (1844-1935) 91

Sholto George Douglas…

The epitaph below throws up some interesting issues.

It is normally thought that the Baillie was born in 1612, the year of the death of his presumed father, Sir James Douglas, 8th of Cavers. Here, it appears that he was born c1616.

The second matter is that there is no reference to a family - no wife and children mentioned. Yet is thought to be the ancestor of the Douglas family of Yarm.

I have not been able to trace his cousin, Richard Douglas, one of his heirs…

Found on Facebook: Anyone from Cocke County, Tennessee? If so have you done any yDNA testing? I was doing some research on William Douglas the gunsmith. Born 1785 in NC. Believed to be one of the sons of John Douglas from Surry County NC. It turns out there are some rifles attributed to William Douglas in the hands of collectors. One message board mentioned there being 3 different gunsmiths by the name of William Douglas during the same period. Two from Cocke…

burningbrichtis a home-based business sited not far from where I live in Scotland where Brenda Bleackley is a crafter who makes different items from tartan.

She showed me some of her…

Congratulations go to Henry Scott Douglas who was awarded the British Empire Medal For services to the community in Bonchester in the Scottish Borders in the 2015 New Years Honours List. 

Henry Douglas was born in the Yarrow Valley and has farmed all his life, mainly at Howahill near Bonchester Bridge. He is an…

Leo Douglas was nearly 30 minutes old before anyone noticed the significance of his birthdate. As his parents, Petty Officer Kelly Douglas of Emporia and Petty Officer Megan Douglas of Worth, Illinois, watched the nurse place Leo’s tiny footprints on his birth certificate and enter the details of his birth, they realized that he was born at 10:11 on…

Cavers Castle is steeped in history and was most recently the seat of the Douglas family for over 300 years. In its day, the castle was a grand 64 room family residence sitting in grounds in excess of 100,000 acres.

Today, the castle sits in the centre of the approx 10 acre grounds. The grounds contain a large pond to the western extremity, and amongst the woodland to…

This GradeA listed doocot forms part of the former  Pittendreich estate, once the property of the Douglases of Pittendreich, located at Easter Pittendreich Farm, Elgin, in Scotland. 

Probably written circa 1900: No trace of these Douglases now exists. The old trees probably define the spot where the mansion of the…

John Dagless was a blacksmith living in Norfolk. He married Elizabeth Pearson and they has eight children:

Susannah, baptised 14 Apr 1816

William, bap 6 Dec 1819

Richard, bap 28 Dec 1834, born 29/11/1829

Thomas, bap 24…