All Blog Posts (900)

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.…

100 years ago to day - in the Glasgow Herald

At a meeting of the Glasgow Archaeological Society last night the acting secretary reported that arrangements had been completed between Mr Douglas of Mains and the First Commissioner of Works, whereby two acres of land, lying to the south of the cemetery at Bearsden and containing a very well preserved section of the Antonine Wall had been placed…

Located off State Highway 224 east of Ottoville, in Putnam County, Ohio, Douglas was a small community that sat alongside the Indiana Hi Rail Corporation rail line. The school in Douglas closed in 1920, with the store to follow in the 1930s. There was also a coal yard and a grain elevator. But all have now disappeared.

Who was it named after?

Does anyone have any photographs or records?

This morning, I received one of those emails that circulates around the hinternet and blogosphere asking me to "Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world" telling me "This e-mail is intended to reach 400 million people". The email came to me via South Africa, so it is travelling. But why 400 million people?

As a rule, I do not pass on snowball* type emails. Sometimes I just delete them; sometimes I point out that the unfortunate child who needs our help…

On this day in 1570, James Hamilton shot and killed James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, in the first recorded assassination using a firearm.

The Earl of Moray, during his brief term of office as the Regent of Scotland, was on his way to Edinburgh to meet James Douglas, 4th earl of Morton, and others, so discuss the rendition of English rebels.

A year later, Morton became Regent of Scotland.

The following is extracted from Rootsweb

I've "rescued" an old photograph identified only as "DOUGLAS" which was taken at the Jones Studio in Providence, Rhode Island. The photograph appears to have been taken in the 1870's with the man in the photograph most likely in his 30's at the time the photograph was taken. In addition to his name, someone has written "Registrar's Clerk" on the front of the photograph.

The photograph was recovered along with others belonging to…

  A collection of medals once belonging to the father of Canadian universal health care is being sold by a London, Ontario, auction house — much to the dismay of a Saskatchewan military historian, who believes the Tommy Douglas memorabilia should be held in public trust.

Jeffrey…

Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00 UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the…

At a time when Scottish independence is very much in the minds of Scots, It is timely to be reminded of the role played by James Douglas, Duke of Queensberry in the Union of 1707.

This book is the only biography of the "Union Duke". It fully explores the…

I have just received an email from someone whose name I do not recognise to tell me that "I've added you to our family tree on MyHeritage.com".

The odd thing is that I cannot find myself on the tree, and indeed can only find two Douglases out of 27,000 records.

Does anyone here understand how My Heritage works, and why I should have been added?

Congratulations to Martin Richard Douglas of Salford Quays, Greater Manchester,  General Manager, Cargill UK, who received an OBE for services to Industry in the North West.

We congratulate the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas, who has been elevated by Her Majesty, the Queen to the position of Privy Councillor. He is entitled to be addressed as “the Right Honourable”.

General Sir Howard Douglas, 3rd Baronet of Carr, GCB, GCMG, FRS (January 23, 1776 – November 9, 1861) was a British military officer born in Gosport, England, the younger son of Admiral Sir Charles Douglas and Sarah Wood, and a descendant of the Earls of Morton. He was a British general and colonial administrator.

In 1797, while in Quebec City, Douglas fathered a daughter, Margaret (or Marguerite), but did not marry the mother, Catherine Normandeau. In 1799, he returned to England,…

Author and historian Alistair Moffat is leading a groundbreaking plan to test the DNA of thousands of Scots. The project, never attempted before, was launched this week in The Scotsman newspaper as part of a series on the origins of our nation.

It is hoped thousands of ordinary Scots will come forward to have their DNA tested. It does not matter whether you have been in Scotland for one week or your family has lived here for centuries – the testing process can reveal fascinating data.…

'Tis the season when many people purchase decorative conifer trees; otherwise they own some ersatz version thereof. No option exists in our household because we are of the most firm opinion that only a natural tree will do.

On an ecological basis cut conifers are grown as a crop and can be fully recycled. So here is your holiday conifer primer. 1.…