William Douglas's Blog (533)

Some alarming facts have been added to Alexander Douglas-Douglas's Wikipedia profile.

Alexander was a naval officer, an explorer, a teamster, officer in the Native Police and a chief inspector of police in Queensland. And, it his time with the police that has been called into question.

Douglas was appointed Acting Sub-Inspector at…

An attractive motet setting for five voices (SA(orT)TTB) of Psalm 126 by a little-known Scottish composer of the mid…

Are you a descendant of the Douglas families of Bonjedward or Timpendean?

Douglas of Bonjedward has featured in a couple of recent articles, the Skirmish at Sclaterford, which followed the disaster at Flodden, in 1513, and the Raid of the Redeswire in 1575.

However, linking the correct Douglas to these events is not proving easy.

I am grateful to Sally Douglas for re-visiting this, but maybe others have researched their families and have some additional…

John Douglas was born on 6 Feb 1840 in Bury, Lancashire, the son of Daniel Douglas, a Machine Maker, and his wife Sarah.

John emigrated to Mexico and is the progenitor of the family that built, first, Douglas Chalet and then Castillo Douglas.

Does anyone have this family in their tree?

Read more…

Arguably one of the more ugly new buildings in London, The 30-storey Douglass Tower on Goodluck Hope, has been named after Sir James Douglass, the redoubtable designer of the English coastline’s two tallest lighthouses - the Eddystone Lighthouse off the Cornish coast and Bishop Rock, on the Isle of Scilly.

Born in Bow, Tower Hamlets in 1826, Sir James Douglass was chief engineer at Trinity House, the chartered authority with workshops at Trinity Buoy Wharf, the site of London…

Outlaw King - look for 'The Good' James Douglas - not yet Sir James!
http://www.tartan.tv/outlaw-king-official-trailer-hd-netflix_086cbd2af.html

Once a rustic, seeing a wolf run about in proximity to the palace, killed it; not knowing that it was the tame creature of the king; and he brought the dead beast to the king, expecting a reward. Then the prince in anger ordered the man to be cast into prison and executed. Now when Bridget heard this, her spirit was stirred within her, and mounting her chariot, she drove…

James Douglas did not, of course, have a heart in his arms - that was added later.  But might the artist just be taking a liberty? …

In a fitting tribute to Sir George, the younger brother of Sir William Douglas, who owned Lochleven Castle, a plaque was placed at Deans Court, St Andrews, on the 450th anniversary of Mary’s escape from Lochleven on May 2, 1568.

It was unveiled by Elizabeth Roads, Snawdoun Herald of the Court of the Lord Lyon,…

On this day 19 July 1333 saw the Battle of Halidon Hill at Berwick, where an English army, led by Edward III and Edward Balliol, defeated the Scots forces under the command of Sir Archibald Douglas  ('Tyneman').

The defeat was mainly down to the English archers who devastated the Scottish ranks, inflicting terrible losses, including six…

Last week, I was helping a researcher who was looking for details of C K M Douglas.

Today there has been a "meteorological tsunami" - meteotsunami in Spain - a phrase coined by C K M Douglas who was a meteorologist.…

Ian Douglas has been fascinated by Scottish history for over forty years. He has just published a short biography of Mary, “Mary Queen of Scots – a Brief History” and is the author of “Exploring History in the Scottish…

On the tombstone, in St Magnus Cathedral, of George Douglas, who died 1611, and Elizabeth Douglas, his spouse, who died 1630, is a shield bearing :—Quarterly, first and fourth, three piles; second and third, a heart ; over all as many mullets

in fess.

Who was he?

The Douglas family played a significant tole in Orkney in the 17th and 18th centuries,…

Look at who owned this Douglas plate!

https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-chinese-export-armorial-porcelain-charger-and-6018488-details.aspx…

It is with sadness I record the death of Jan Shaw, on 10th June.

Jan was for many years to President of the Clan Douglas Association of Australia, and before that the newsletter editor.

Her knowledge of Douglas matters, her support of Douglas heritage and her friendship will be missed by many.

Her funeral service will be at St Mary's Anglican Church,…

You may have noticed strange behaviour with the Douglas Archives database.

There appears to be a problem with my web service provider that is affecting both email and the database. We are working on this. Meanwhile the revised database has wiped the older version, but not replaced it.

Boring!

Yours aye,

William

I am informed that Douglas in Hebrew means "Distinguished Man".

Doogle= distinguished, eesh= man.

Could it be that Douglas came from Danite Celts?

Hard to prove, but an interesting coincidence. Do any of my distinguished friends have any thoughts on this?

And Urban Dictionary has a rather different definition!

I have been offered ephemera relating to Admiral Douglas's house Seafield in Walmer. Would anyone be interested in this?

Admiral Robert Gordon Douglas(1829-1910), descendant of James, 4th Earl of Morton, was the son of Commander John Douglas, JP, RN, and Robina MacDonell. He had at least one son, James Sholto Gordon Douglas, and a daughter Madeline Gordon Douglas.

The…