William Douglas's Blog (628)

Not the Front Stairs!

Congratulation go to the following on their appointments in Her Majesty's Birthday Honours:

• Commander of the Order of the British Empire: Susan Frances DOUGLAS, Chief Executive Officer, Eden Academy Trust, and Senior Adviser, Schools, British Council. For services to Education; High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

• Member of the Order of the British Empire:  Clive Anthony DOUGLAS, Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Boleyn Trust. For services to Education; London

• Member of…

I received the following, which I have translated from French:

Comments: Hello,

I am contacting you, because, almost 200 years ago (July 16, 2021), Antoine Leclerc aka Milfort Tastanegy died on the property of friends in a small village in France, Villevallier (Yonne). He was born in Thin le Moutier (Ardennes-France).

In the meantime, this colorful character went to the USA for almost 20 years. He lived among the Creek Indians near Little Tennesse in Alabama, where…

I have just stumbled upon a family tree of the pirate, Long John Silver. Whilst I know about many ne'erdowells amongst our extended family (see: www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/articles/rogues&vagabonds.htm ) the…

I have just seen an advanced copy of the CDSNA newsletter - all 86 pages of it!

If you are not on the mailing list, now would be a good moment to join.…

The heart has always been important in Scottish history, but nowhere is it more important than in Douglas history.

In 1298 when Lord John Balliol died, his grieving widow, Dervorguilla of Galloway, had his preserved heart placed in an ivory casket which she then carried everywhere with her. When she died, she was laid to rest at Sweetheart Abbey clutching her husband's heart. That's not the only heart-wrenching tale though, Melrose Abbey was so beloved by Robert the Bruce that it was…

Douglas Corner Cafe, a premier Nashville venue that has hosted performances by artists as varied as Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Guy Clark, Kevin Costner, Jon Bon Jovi, and Neil Diamond, closed its doors for good after 33 years. A key destination in the city’s Eighth Avenue South neighborhood, the club has been shuttered since March 15th 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Nashville’s subsequent stay-at-home order.

Douglas Corner owner Mervin Louque, a one-time…

Congratulations to the following for their appointments in the New Years Honours

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

William Barry Douglas OBE. Concert Pianist. For services to Music and to Community Relations in Northern Ireland. (Lurgan, County Armagh)

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Robert Peter Douglas Miller. For services to Wildlife Conservation in Scotland. (Haddington, East Lothian)

Members of the Order of the British…

David Douglas of St Vigeans, Angus (1777 – c. 1855) Driver, Royal Artillery Corps from 1794 to 1815. Served 20 years in East or West India Services.

The above entry in Wikipedia has been deleted.

As far as I can tell, there was no biography, just this detail, but does anyone know who this man was>  Was he 'notable'?

The story begins:

It was in 1859, on July 26th, that the original farm Witkoppen was granted by land grant from President Kruger to P.E. Labuschagne and on July 5th of the same year that Driefontein 3 was granted to L.P. van Vuuren, and these land grants can be seen today in Pretoria, although the farms have now all been considerably sub-divided. Not long after, in the year 1863, Thomas Douglas, one of a family of five, was born in the small town of Stranraer in Wigtownshire,…

I am loking for help identifying these ladies, all named Jane.

• JANE DOUGLAS, who is known to have been born in 1811 and to have married in 1841, Robert
  
  Douglas of Lockerby. She died in 1874.
• 
  
  JANE BROWN DOUGLAS was born 20/Apr/1810 and is known to have married Alexander
  
  Farquhar Crawford of Edinburgh.
• 
  
  JANE DOUGLAS was born 09/Jan/1760 and is known to have married the Rev. William van
  
  Mildert, Bishop of Durham on 22/Dec/1795. She…

C1865 Earl Of Morton Conaglen Ardgour Cased, Alexander Henry Martini Action 577x450 Obsolete Calibre Carbine & Accessories. Sn 17472…

Just before 3am on 12 May 1824, a crew of Guards officers, wearing red and white broad striped jackets, straw hats and loose trousers, took to the water at Oxford’s Folly Bridge in a six-oared wherry. Among them was Edward Douglas, later Baron Penrhyn (left).

They had come together to decide a bet between Captain Charles Short of the Coldstream Guards and…

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020 recognises the outstanding achievements of people across the United Kingdom.

Our congratulations go to:

Jonathan David DOUGLAS, Chief Executive, National Literacy Trust, who has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Education in London

and

Erskine Decourtney DOUGLAS who has been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to Finance in London. He is an Accredited…

Much of my research is in response to questions raised by researchers seeking information about their ancestors.  But from time to time I find myself assisting with background research for a book.

Douglas House School

Last week, I was asked about Mrs Owen-Williams, owner and head teacher of the Douglas House School, also known as the Old Vicarage, in Malvern, Worcestershire.  My interest was immediately aroused, because earlier in the week I had resumed my…

Col Robert MacDonald of Inchkenneth married Mary Douglas of Grantham in January 1801.  She was the daughter of Thomas Douglas, who originally engaged in mercantile pursuits (He worked in the cotton industry), he went on to reside at Grantham in Lincolnshire. Served as High Sheriff of that County in 1776.



He bred racehorses and was well…

Among the more harrowing tales in the Douglas Archives are the references to indentured servants, often children.

Image used for illustration - it is not being suggested that these children were slaves.



The main money-making crops in colonial Georgia were tobacco, indigo and rice, all of which required intensive manual labour. Indentured servitude…

I have long been aware of the Douglas of Cavers links to important religious matters.

The 'Good Lady of Cavers'  was imprisoned in Stirling Castle in 1682 for her religions beliefs.

Today, I learned that James Douglas of Cavers paid for a printing of the New Testament (in Rome?) in 1849.

This is probably the same James has…

Built on the former Douglas estate of Bonjedward, the 'new' house is back on the market.  A chance for a Douglas family to bring it back into clan hands, maybe?

Bonjedward House is a magnificent listed Georgian house dating from the latter stages of the 18th century. Built for Archibald Jerdon of Bonjedward and later the seat of the Dowager Marchioness…