The Douglas Archives

A collection of historical and genalogical records

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Women in Douglas History

How many women are listed in the Douglas Archives? At the last count there were nearly 70,000 females in the database (80,000 men), but that is not what I meant.



How many women merit a Biography? And how many have got one? Not enough is the best answer that I can give.



With this in mind, I went in search of more Douglas ladies, and managed to add nine in the last month - and only eight men!



One of those women won Wimbledon 7 times! How could I have not known… Continue

Added by William Douglas on May 11, 2010 at 10:12 — No Comments

Author and friend assume name of Mr and Mrs Sholto Douglas

Mary Diana Dos (c1791 – c1830) was the illegitimate daughter of a peer. To make her own financial way in the world, the distinctly unattractive Mary assumed the male pseudonym of ‘David Lyndsay,’ in order to have her work published in Blackwoods Magazine and other such popular annuals. Her works included Dramas of the Ancient World (1821), which brought her to the attention of Mary Shelley and her circle. Shelley later helped Dods secretly remove to Paris, dressed in male attire, where she… Continue

Added by William Douglas on May 9, 2010 at 17:23 — No Comments

Lieutenant General Douglas - who is he?

King William When King William arrived at Carrickfergus, Lieutenant General Douglas had hoped he would go straight to Lisburn saying, "Lisburn is a healthful place, the air there is much purer than Belfast", doubtless thinking of the Kings asthmatic condition, hot it was not until… Continue

Added by William Douglas on April 23, 2010 at 12:49 — No Comments

Our Community - the future

As you will have noted from Adrian's discussion, Ning have given us a problem.



Behind this social network, there is a 'platform' that runs the service, owned by Ning. Until now, they have provided the service 'free', but we must take their advertising. to pay for it. Clearly their business model is not working, and they have decided to run 'Premium' accounts only.



Sadly, I… Continue

Added by William Douglas on April 22, 2010 at 9:17 — No Comments

Ancient Mausoleum Receives First Funding Award

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given the green light to Argyll Mausoleum Ltd to work up plans to restore the ancient Mausoleum located next to St Munn’s Church in Kilmun, it was announced today (12th April…
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Added by William Douglas on April 15, 2010 at 18:48 — No Comments

An unhelpful response

The following response was posted on a forum (NOT here!). Thankfully, most genealogists are a little more helpful.



In the 28 generations [+ -] from Sir James "the good" Douglas to now, Sir James has roughly 20 billion descendants. When only 6 billion people live on the planet presently, you must have a "family tree" the size of a football field? :-)



Considering that the theoretical number of our ancestors is exponential, and calculating that a century is equivalent to… Continue

Added by William Douglas on April 6, 2010 at 14:50 — No Comments

Without a double lung transplant young mother, Milly Douglas-Pennant, a cystic fibrosis sufferer, will not live to see her baby daughter, Lucia, grow up.

The mother propped up on pillows with her baby by her side is waiting for someone to die. Breathing is difficult, even with the help of nasal oxygen, so her sentences are short, punctuated by quick, sharp coughs. Her hospital bag has been packed for six months. Her husband has given up his job to care for her and their one-year-old daughter, Lucia. Her parents are ready for the telephone call that will summon her to Harefield Hospital for a double lung transplant operation. But as the days…
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Added by William Douglas on April 2, 2010 at 18:04 — 2 Comments

Jenny Douglas could be Dorothy

Jenny Douglas The latest BBC reality TV show seeks to find a star to play the part of Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's forthcoming production, Over the Rainbow. Contestants have been whittled down from around 9,000 contenders to the final 10. Amongst them is Jenny Douglas.


Jenny has always loved to sing, but discovered she had a distinct voice at the age of around six or seven. She is currently halfway through her first year of acting classes and her first year of…
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Added by William Douglas on March 28, 2010 at 16:00 — 2 Comments

Spam attacks - it is not the Canadians!

Acknowledged by many as the Internet's worst case of criminal offending, Canadian Pharmacy has infiltrated the Ning network, on which the Douglas Archives Comunity is based.


First of all, I want you to know how seriously we consider this issue. Spam isn’t just an annoyance for Network Creators and their members. Spam gets in the way of member participation and interaction, which is the lifeblood of a successful, vibrant Ning Network like ours. I have already…
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Added by William Douglas on March 23, 2010 at 15:00 — No Comments

Marquis of Clydesdale engaged to be married

The engagement was announced 20 March 2010, between Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, styled Marquis of Clydesdale (b 31 Mar 1978), elder son of Angus Alan Douglas [Douglas-Hamilton], 15th Duke of Hamilton (b 13 September 1938), by his late former wife Sarah Jane Scott (b. 28 Oct 1945; d. 17 Feb 1994), eldest dau. of Sir Walter Scott, 4th Bt., of Beauclerc, Bywell St Andrews, co. Northumberland, & Sophie Ann Rutherford,, dau of Mr Hubert Rutherford, of Roxburghshire and Mrs Isabel… Continue

Added by William Douglas on March 21, 2010 at 11:30 — No Comments

Will the real John Douglas please stand up?

The excellent website, Secret Scotland, lists several Sir John Douglases. Can anyone help sort them out?

Lt.-Gen. Sir Neil Douglas of Glenfinart

Invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.). Father of General Sir John Douglas of…

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Added by William Douglas on March 18, 2010 at 12:30 — No Comments

Douglas of Bonjedward and Timpendean

Scotland's Historic Heraldry by Bruce A McAndrew

Re George 1st Earl of Angus "...William, 1st Earl of Douglas, had children by his sister in law. Margaret Stewart, Countess of Angus (1417/18), the eldest of whom was named George. He was acknowledged lord of Angus 1389-97 and thereafter earl till his early death soon after the battle…
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Added by William Douglas on February 22, 2010 at 13:00 — No Comments

A dynasty of Clock and Watch makers

John Douglas, who was living in 1759, of Jedburgh, Roxburghshire became a Master Clock and Watch maker and founded a dynasty of Clock and Watch makers, Jewellers, Jewellery makers, Goldsmiths and Silversmiths.



Eighteen Clock and Watch makers named Douglas that are part of the family have been identified, plus a Walter Lamont - a total of nineteen. Besides clockmaking there is a strong descent of Artists - Snuff Box painter, Portrait painters, Genre painters and Picture restorers;… Continue

Added by William Douglas on February 11, 2010 at 11:16 — No Comments

Trailer for the Douglas Archives



This is a new trailer I have just made - any thoughts?


You can get a copy here:…

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Added by William Douglas on February 8, 2010 at 20:00 — No Comments

Seeking ancestors through graveyards

I have been working on researching Douglases who were watch and clock makers, trying to find the link between family members in Chertsey, Surrey, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Galston, Ayrshire and others. Sally Douglas, in Melbourne, Australia is the power behind this research and has made enormous progress.


She recently sent me a couple of photographs of gravestones which are key to providing supporting evidence. But for how much longer will this evidence be…
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Added by William Douglas on February 5, 2010 at 12:00 — No Comments

JD Salinger dies - the Douglas connection

JD Salinger

The death of 'Catcher in the Rye' author, JD Salinger, brings out some painful stories of his relationship with his second wife, Claire Douglas.

Claire, daughter of art critic Professor Robert Langton Douglas, had met Salinger at a party in 1954, when she was just 19 and a student at Radcliffe College. They married the next year, and Salinger insisted that… Continue

Added by William Douglas on January 31, 2010 at 14:00 — No Comments

Thought to be dead, Thomas was held on a prison ship

THOMAS DOUGLAS, who was born about 1750, was living in New Fairfield, Conn., a few years prior to the Revolutionary war. His wife Eleanor SEELEY, was born in New Fairfield, May 21, 1754. Probably they were married in 1771. In 1773 or 1774, while their first child was an infant, they removed to Pownal, Vt.



At the breaking out of the Revolution, in 1775, Thomas DOUGLAS entered the army as a volunteer, and marched to Boston, Mass. His first engagement was at Bunker Hill, where he fell,… Continue

Added by William Douglas on January 28, 2010 at 23:12 — No Comments

The early lessons of a search.

Being new to the family research game it's fair to say that I'm rather virginal to the highs and lows of Genealogy.



So on a wing and a prayer I set forth with precious little information passed down from my mother - whom in turn recieved the same information from a long deceased family member.



My family tree is very comprehensive and complete right up to present day from the time we arrived at the great land down under.

Now unlike alot of Australians I'm rather… Continue

Added by Andrew Douglas on January 28, 2010 at 8:52 — 8 Comments

The Douglas Banner

Extract from Chambers' 1869 The Book of Days.



It will be learned, not without interest, that certain relics or memorials of the fight of Otterbourne are still preserved in Scotland. The story of the battle represents Douglas as having, in a personal encounter with Percy in front of Newcastle, taken from him his spear and its pennon or hanging flag, saying he would carry it home with him, and plant it on his castle of Dalkeith. The battle itself was an effort of Percy to recover this… Continue

Added by William Douglas on January 27, 2010 at 13:30 — 2 Comments

Protesters being removed from Douglas estate

Tree-houses have been built, the tunnels dug, the barricades erected and the arm-locks secured to branches.



Mainshill Wood, in the Lanarkshire countryside, has become Scotland's new environmental battleground this morning as an army of bailiffs moved in to evict protesters against a huge opencast mine. Scottish Coal was last year given permission to extract 1.7 million tonnes of coal from the site located on Lord Home's Douglas estate. If it goes ahead, South Lanarkshire will become… Continue

Added by William Douglas on January 25, 2010 at 16:53 — 1 Comment

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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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