The migration of a Douglass family

[William Douglas]

Buried deep in the Archives, I came across a history of this particular family, which I share:

The Douglass family of North America can trace its origins to James Douglass, who was christened in Coldingham, Scotland, in 1755. A blacksmith by trade, he and his wife, Mary Wallace, had eight children. One of their sons, also named James, would later make the journey to the New World.

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The Migration to North America

The second James Douglass, born in 1789, continued his father's profession as a blacksmith. He married Alison Laing, born in 1795. The family moved around early in their marriage before settling in the village of Westruther, Scotland, a community known for sheep herding. They had 10 children, some born in different locations before they settled in Westruther, and one was born later in Canada.

In 1831, the family made the difficult decision to leave Scotland and sail to the New World. Of their nine children living at the time, only two sons, John and Robert, are recorded as having accompanied them to Canada. The family traveled down the St. Lawrence River and settled in Russeltown, Quebec, a village with a small population primarily settled by English-speaking people. James resumed his trade as a blacksmith here.

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The Move to Minnesota

After the death of the second James Douglass in 1860, the family decided to move again, this time to the United States. They settled in Canton Township, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Records indicate that Robert Douglass, who had married an American woman named Eliza from Vermont, had 11 biological children and one adopted child.

In 1870, Robert's brother, John, moved to a farm in Nashville Township, Martin County, Minnesota, where he and his Canadian-born wife Mary raised their children. Their mother, Alison, also lived with them. At this time, Robert's son, Robert Wallace Douglass, lived with his uncles and attended school.

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The Legacy Continues

Robert Wallace Douglass, born in 1856 in Montreal, married Tillie Finlay in 1882. They first homesteaded in Martin County, Minnesota, but later sold the farm and moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, where they opened a boarding house. They returned to Minnesota a few years later and settled in Gaylord, where they opened a restaurant and boarding house. Robert also supplemented his income by selling products from a horse and carriage, later upgrading to a Model T Ford.

Robert and Tillie had several children, including Arthur Finlay Douglass, born in Beatrice, Nebraska, in 1886. Arthur first married Florence Woolever, with whom he had two sons, Robert Loraine and Kenneth Arthur. After Florence's death from the Spanish Influenza in 1918, Arthur married Rosella Curran. They had a son, William Arthur.

William Arthur Douglass married Catherine Veronica Beazley. They had three children. Of all the descendants, only a few individuals currently carry the Douglas name. The family's lineage, however, continues through many descendants with different names.