Douglas of Cavers

[William Douglas]

I have received an email discussing the Cavers lineage in connect to Violet, daughter of Thomas Douglas of Cavers.

But the question is how does this Thomas fit into the lineage, and who were his successors?

 

This how I record the Cavers lineage:

Archibald Douglas 13th Laird of Cavers came from an ancient Roxburghshire family with a strong Covenanting tradition. His father William Douglas 11th of Cavers had been deprived of the hereditary sheriffdom on account of his opposition to the court, and his mother, Katherine Rigg, the reputed 'good Lady Cavers', was imprisoned in Stirling Castle in November 1682.

Archibald, who married Anna, daughter of Francis Scott of Gorrenberry, was Receiver-General for Scotland from 1705 to 1718, and Postmaster General for Scotland in 1725. He acted as curator for the Dukes of Douglas and Queensberry during their minorities. He represented Roxburghshire in the last Scottish Parliament, and concurred in the Union. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh Scott of Gala. He (13th) died in 1741, leaving a large family, four of whom succeeded.

William, 14th of Cavers;who resigned the sheriffship to his brother Archibald, in order to represent Roxburghshire in the United Parliament, 1742. He died unmarried in 1748.
Archibald, 15th of Cavers m. Elizabeth SCOTT, (d bef 1776?) dau of Hugh Scott of Gala;
James, Rev, 16th of Cavers m. Jean HALYBURTON, dau of Halyburton of Pitcur;
John, Captain, 17th of Cavers m. Ann SCOTT, dau of Hugh Scott of Gala; died 30 May 1786

He died without an heir so the title passed to his cousin, George Douglas 18th of Cavers, (d. 1815) who married (10 Jul 1789) Lady Grace, daughter of the 9th Earl of Moray.

George was the son of Andrew Douglas, Paymaster to the Navy, of Suffolk St, St Martin in the Fields, London. He married a Miss Mercer.

Andrew was son of Thomas Douglas (b 1677) and Jean Pringle.

This Thomas was born shortly after the death of his father, also Thomas, in the same year.

Thomas (d 1677) was the child (?5th son) of Sir William Douglas and Katherine Rigg. Sir William Douglas was 11th Laird of Cavers (see above).

However, please see the following:

The extract below is from the Annals is confusing:

William Oliver and Mary
Chisholm left an only daughter, Mary, and a son, John
Oliver, younger of Dinlabyre, who married Violet Douglas,
eldest daughter of Thomas Douglas, and brother of Archi-
bald, laird of Cavers. The marriage contract was signed at
Linthaughlee on the 17th December, 1734, the witnesses
being Archibald Douglas of Cavers and his son William,
Robert Pringle of Clifton, John Chisholm, &c.

Archibald was 13th of Cavers at the time of Violet's marriage (1734). However, he was not the son of Thomas, but the younger son of Sir William (see above). However, he did have a brother, Thomas, who died in 1677

And then we have this, also from the Annals:

Thomas, the fifth son of Sir William Douglas, Knight of Cavers, who
was bom posthumous in May. 1677, married Jean Pringle of the Haining,
and was father of Andrew Douglas. Andrew married Miss Mercer, and
had two sons — George, who succeeded to Cavers, and Archibald to Adder-
stone and Midshiels.

STIRNET has this version: 

http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/dd/douglas05.php showing Thomas, b1677, son of Thomas, d1677, as the 18th Laird.

But read this from Haygenealogy:

The sheriffdom now passed to a cousin: Thomas Douglas (1677- ), 18th of Cavers, married Jean Pringle -- check this too --

seems like it was his father Thomas was too young to have a child born circa 1677. And that this Thomas, if born 1677 upon

his father's death, would be too old to take over in 1786 on his cousin's death -- hmmmm, at age 109????? Think at least one

generation skipped here.

Which is why I think it was George who was 18th of Cavers.

This book ( http://books.google.co.uk/books?pg=PA183&dq=douglas%20of%20cavers&id=fx4NAAAAYAAJ&output=text ) also has George as the 18th Laird, but has a different lineage.