Notes:

Please check this: BIRT: CONC Scotland

Notes:

"Cumberland Roots: http://members.madasafish.com/~cgrs/Brombur.htm
Taken From: Bromfield Parish Burials
1654 to 1813
These transcripts were prepared by Ann Johnstone whom I would like to thank very much. They were compiled from the original Parish Recordsand checked against the Bishops Transcripts and , as ever, there areanomalies between the two.
Where an entry is indicated with a *, it was not entered in the ParishRegister and with a # , it was not entered in the Bishops Transcripts.The note " bts=" indicates that the Bishops Transcripts showedinformation different to the Parish Registers.
Please note also that neither started giving the age of the person until about 1770
16/11/1759 Elizabeth of Willonby DUGLAS of Crookdake
26/01/1763 Anne DUGLASS of Crookdake
27/04/1772 Willoughby DUGLASS a Mason of Langrigg
06/05/1754 Sarah wife of William DUGLASS* of none given Wheyrigg(Hall)?"
SOURCE: Bromfield Parish Registers
Baptisms & Marriages 1813-1837
Burials 1654 -1916.
Bromfield Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions
Bromfield Parish is one of the oldest in Cumberland and before thechurches at Westnewton and Allonby were opened in the mid 19thCentury, was one of the largest, geographically.
Based on the small village of Bromfield between Aspatria and Wigton inNorth West Cumberland
The baptisms are in Alphabetical order by Surname therefore there isno index. Where there is an asterisk * after a christian name it meansthat the entry is duplicated using another surname where the parentswere not married. [Transcribed 23 June 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

E-mail from Douglass/Redenbaugh Genealogist 2006 # 7, dated 25 March2006 to compiler; Subject "Douglass": Check out Bromfield ParrishRecords I revisited last weekend. In Google type in Bromfield ParrishCumberland records. BURIALS --
1. 27-04-1772 Willoughby Duglass a Mason of Langrigg
2. 16-11-1759 Elisabeth of Willonby Duglass of Crookdake A mason
3. 26-01-1763 Anne Duglass of Crookdake
"Crookdake is close to Brideskirk Church where Anna and Willoughbywere married. Langrigg is also a village near there. It lists theirmarriage as follows: April 19, 1759 Anna Asbrigg and WillonbyDuglass both of this Parrish. The handwritten name looks more likeWillomby than Willoughby and Willoughby could be the Queens Englishtranslation. All the Queen's English added extra letters of this type"oughby" and "bridge". Early data I found listing Anna Asbridge saidmarried Douglass April 9, 1759--Scotland. The Scots record could havebeen announcing banns. I don't think marriage by license entereduntil England took full control.
Children listed were: Elisabeth died, Ann, John, Willoughby, andJeremiah.
The sons information indicated Willoughby (Willonby) died whenJeremiah was between 3 and 5.
Asbridge in Wigton was as common as Smith or Jones here. Anna leftalone with children could have gone to relatives in Wigton just a fewmiles away from both Langrigg and Leesrigg." [Transcribed 23 June2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

This is just a rendition of a possible ancestor to Willoby/WilloughbyDe Duglas-Douglass in order that some back ground history on theDouglass family itself might be provided. It is not to be taken asfactual. Much more research in Scotland and England must be donefirst to confirm any genealogy beyond the point of Jeremiah Douglassback into history and beyond. A biography in Indiana indicated whoJeremiah's mother and father were; And to date through Parish Recordsonly in Cumberland County, the link was formed to Scotlandtentatively for the family.

Our family has always spelled the Douglas/s name with two "ss's" ,"Douglass". Some have given into the Douglas without the extra letter"s" only out of modern convenience. This compiler however will alwaysuse the Double "SS" in the name for this is the way it has always beenin our family with the older generations.

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND A GOOD READING ON THE HISTORY, ORIGINS, OFTHE BLACK AND RED DOUGLAS/S FAMILIES AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THEDYNASTIES OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND FOR A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THISFAMILIES DYNAMICS. SOME HISTORY HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMPILER;HOWEVER, IT IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE SCHOLARLY WORK, AND NONE OF THEHISTORY OF THE FAMILY CAN BE ACCURATELY PROVIDED IN THIS REGISTERREPORT FOR READERS.
COMPILER AND DESCENDANT OF THE BLACK DOUGLASS, SANDRA LEE ELKINS JUHL.

"Drumlanrig Castle
Located in Upper Nithsdale, 16 miles (25 km) west of Moffat and 18miles (28 km) NNW of Dumfries, Drumlanrig is one of three Scottishhouses owned by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, the othersbeing Bowhill (Selkirk) and Branxholme (Hawick).
Built on the site of a 14th century castle of the 'Black' Douglasfamily, where King James VI was entertained in 1617 on his return toScotland. The family was rewarded for its support for the Stuartmonarchy and William Douglas (1637-95), the 1st Duke and 3rd Earl ofQueensberry, ordered the construction of the present castle as adwelling more appropriate to his status, a project that nearlybankrupted him in the process.
Drumlanrig was built between 1679 and 1691 probably by James Smith(c.1645 - 1731) perhaps with the assistance of his father-in-lawRobert Mylne (1633 - 1710), the King's Master Mason. Earlier designsby architect royal Sir William Bruce (1630 - 1710) had certainly beenconsulted, unsurprising as both men new him well. This may explain whythe style was just slightly outdated for its time. Local pinksandstone was used in the construction and the result is a grandexample of Scottish domestic architecture. Externally, the house isbuilt around a courtyard, with a circular tower in each corner.Internal wood panelling and carving are a notable feature and the richoak staircase and balustrade represents one of the first of its kindin Scotland. Bonnie Prince Charlie visited while retreating north latein 1745, and his bedroom can be seen today.
Drumlanrig and the Queensberry title passed to the Dukes of Buccleuchin 1810 on the death of the 4th Duke of Queensberry, whose onlycontribution had been the felling of the surrounding forests tomaintain his philandering lifestyle in London. The Buccleuchs broughtto the home a magnificent collection of furniture and art, with worksby Holbein, Rembrandt and da Vinci. Today, it is supported byextensive estates deriving income from farming and forestry.
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1204.html"
[Transcribed 27 May 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

Castle Douglas (Gd: Caisteal Dh?ghlais), a town in the south ofScotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part ofGalloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie andGatehouse of Fleet[Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Douglas; Please note theoriginal Douglass Gaelic name spelling.]
Castle Douglas is built next to Carlingwark Loch in which traces ofprehistoric crannogs can be found, evidence of early inhabitation ofthe area. Small Roman forts were situated nearby, built around AD 81but were abandoned soon after.
Nearby Threave Castle was the seat of power for the ruling Douglasfamily. A small collection of cottages developed by the shores ofCarlingwark, which was a source of marl. These cottages can still beseen on the Western approach to Castle Douglas and are known as theBuchan. The development of a military road through Galloway passedthrough the Carlingwark area and improved transportation connectionsin the 1700s.
Castle Douglas was founded in 1792 by a wealthy descendant of theDouglas family, William Douglas, who made his money in an 'AmericanTrade' and created a planned town on the shores of Carlingwark loch.The town's layout is based upon the grid plan pattern of streets asused in Edinburgh's New Town, built around the same time. Sir WilliamDouglas also created a number of industries in Castle Douglas,including hand-waven cotton factories from which Cotton Street derivesits name.
[Transcribed 26 March 2006, SLJuhl]

Threave Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threave_Castle
Jump to: navigation, search
Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee and was thehome of the Douglas family from the 1300s to 1640. It is now in thecare of Historic Scotland and can be visited by boat.
History
The island was probably inhabited since the 500s and the name is mostlikely derived from the Welsh Tref, meaning Homestead.
It is possible that Fergus of Galloway built a castle on the islandafter 1000 but was destrroyed arround 1308 by Edward Bruce.
Threave Castle, as it stands today, was created in the 1370s byArchibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas known as "Archibald the Grim",son of Sir James Douglas "the Good". A small collection of buildingswere built around the main fortress structure, including a hall andchapel.
The services of his father to the Scottish Wars of Independence earnedthe Douglas family an Earldom from David II of Scotland, son of Robertthe Bruce. Threave Castle became Archibald's stronghold and he diedthere in 1400. His son Archibald married Princess Margaret, daughterof Robert III of Scotland.
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas, was appointed Regent to theinfant King James II in 1437. Archibald died in 1439 and in theensuing power struggle his 16-year-old son, William Douglas, 6th Earlof Douglas, was murdered at Edinburgh Castle in 1440.
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas began a series of improvements tothe Castle's fortifications in 1447 designed to withstand artilleryfire. This was part funded by Henry VI of England, and caused adisagreement between King James II of Scotland and Douglas. The 8thEarl was murdered in Stirling Castle by King James II himself.
This instigated an uprising by James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglasagainst the Crown. The Earl was excised after a defeat at Arkinholmnear Langholm and his strongholds were systematically destroyed.Threave Castle was subject to a two month siege in 1455, during whichMons Meg is reputed to have been built. The castle survived the attackand only succumbed when the garrison were bribed and promised safeconduct. The castle was annexed by the Crown and in 1526 it was passedto the Maxwell family of Nithsdale.
During the Bishops' Wars of 1640 Threave castle supported Charles I ofEngland and a grassy embankment was added to the Castle's defences.The castle was besieged by the Covenanters and capitulated after 13weeks. Threave Castle was slighted, and apart from a brief periodhousing French Napoleonic prisoners of war, it was never againinhabited. In 1913 the owner, Edward Gordon, passed the castle intoState care. [Transcribed 26 March 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

**Threave Castle is in Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfriesshire, SouthernWest, Scotland.

An Excellent Internet Resource Site For Records of the Early DouglassMembers In England: http://www.cumberlandroots.co.uk/
NOT PROVEN STORY:
E-mail From A DOUGLASS DESCENDANT
Douglass and Redenbaugh Descendant
To: SLJUHL (A copy of the e-mail is on record in the Douglass Volume,and the author will not reveal without express permission from theauthor, nor for any other e-mails to follow in the Douglass Genealogyor Redenbaugh Genealogies.)
Dated: Saturday, March 18, 2006
Subject: Redenbaugh-Douglass Connection
"I have an E-mail from a Douglas in Scotland and a Douglass inCumberland who told me the double SS applied to any member of ClanDouglas Chieftains."
"Carlisle was a Douglas Center and Brides Kirk Church is where allDouglass Chiefs and Chieftains were married. When James Douglass waskilled while taking the Heart of Robert the Bruce to the Holy Land,King James of Scotland immediately set out to kill all members of the"Black Douglass" family. He elevated bastard sons of a branch ofDouglas called "Red" (Douglas) and set them out to do the Killing.
No one was supposed to have escaped, but they did and crossed intoEngland. James had a daughter Margaret, who was forced to marry theRed Douglas cousin to legitimize the seizure of the James Douglasslands, and ran up against rules that not even the king could avoid.Scots women could and did inherit. They were also entitled to be ClanChiefs. So in essence, she (Margaret) was "The Douglass".
"The Red Douglas family would have to be content that their sons wouldinherit the lands. Although, Margaret's two son's would also inheritthe lands as well. It is believed then that Margaret had demandedthat her children and heirs only could hold that land and would remainBlack Douglass. (My theory [the author of the e-mail] is, Margaretadded the extra "S" to the name, because her children were doubleDouglasses, that they preserved the inheritance, and it distinguishedthem from the other branches.)
Although somewhat protected when the border lords took over the landson either side, the Douglass land was known as the Riviers. TheDouglass were still targets of murder attempts to take the lands theyhad. The lands that Margaret held included the original ones claimedby the DUKE DE DUGLAS in the 1200's. Willoughby's marriage recordspelled him that way as, DE DUGLASS."
Paraphrased: On record in England 1910 A.D. is that Lord Holmes, anEnglish Duke - his mother a Douglas- claimed the Clan DouglasChieftain title, because the previous chief died in 1907 withoutissue. No other direct Douglas claimed their rights to the title.Then as soon as Scotland was allowed in their own Parliament about2001 A.D., they stripped the current Clan Chieftain and the lands fromthe Holmes/Douglas. The Parliament stated that he could not hold twopositions at one time. The position remains open until 2006 A.D., andany direct Douglass who can prove entitlement could claim theChieftain title and lands given enough money. As of 2004, no one hadmade a claim on the title or lands."
[Transcribed 25 March 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

The Historical Families of Dunfriesshire and the Border Wars
CHAPTER II
http://www.electricscotland.com/HISTORY/dumfries/chapter2.htm
"While the English Kings appointed one wealthy English nobleman afteranother to the lordship of Annandale, Robert Bruce gave it to SirJames Douglas, who was attached to him not only by the ties offriendship, but by private wrongs sustained from Edward I. His fatherhad aided Wallace, and then submitting to the English was imprisonedin the Tower of London, where he died, and his estates were forfeited,for besides his so-called rebellion he was the only Scotsman of rankwho declined to sign the Ragman?s Roll. James Douglas, then in France,came to Westminster, and offered to remain faithful to England ifEdward would restore to him his father?s lands. The King declined togive him either the lands or any employment, upon which he became apatriot, and joined Bruce. It is a well-known story that the name ofhis friend was changed from Lokarde to Lockhart, because he broughtback Bruce?s heart, which James Douglas had endeavoured to convey tothe Holy Land; and the name of Lokard is found in Dumfriesshire asearly as 1200. When the English were finally driven from Annandale theDouglases were for many years more powerful in this district than theScottish King."

"De Duglas - Douglass
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/douglas2.html

"The Douglases were considered to be the most influential and powerfulof the Lowland families and who at the height of their powers werepossibly the greatest family in Scotland. The first record of thisname was in 1175 when William de Duglas witnessed a charter by theBishop of Glasgow to the monks of Kelso. Grants of the land were madeto Sir James Douglas one of Robert Bruce's chief lieutenants and famedfor his many brave exploits. Unfortunately he was killed by the Moorsin Granada, Spain whilst attempting to carry Bruce's heart to theHolyland. His nephew was created Earl of Douglas, later becoming Earlof Mar by marriage. The strength and wealth of the Douglases were aconstant threat to the Stewart Kings. At one time they formed analliance with the English crown and the Lord of the Isles against theScots crown, the failure of which meant that Lord Douglas had to fleeto England. The Black Douglases were thus forfeited in 1455 andThreave Castle was bombarded by the famous cannon, Mons Meg. George,4th Earl of Angus, chief of the Red Douglases became head of the wholeclan. His son, Archibald, "Bell-the Cat", led the nobles rebellionagainst James III which ended in the defeat and death of the King atthe Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. His grandson also Archibald marriedMargaret Tudor widow of James IV who had fallen at Flodden. Theirdaughter, Lady Margaret married the Earl of Lennox, their son LordDarnley married Mary Queen of Scots and was father of James VI & I.The Douglases continued to play an important role in the life ofScotland throughout the centuries and were ancestors of the Earls ofMorton, Douglas, Annandale, Moray, Ormond, Angus and Forfar and theDukes of Touraine, Queensberry, Buccleuch and Hamilton. It wouldappear that the senior representative of this house is at present LordHome (ex-prime minister of Great Britain) but he cannot exercise thechiefship while he is also chief of Home, the heir male is the Duke ofHamilton. " This has of course changed, and the title and lands arecontrolled by the Parliament of Scotland as of 2000 A.D."[Transcribed 28, March 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]

Please check this: BIRT: CONC Cumberland (now Cumbria), Scotland
DEAT: CONC Cumberland (now Cumbria), Scotland

Willonby married Elisabeth about 1720 in Either In Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfriesshire, Southern West, Scotland, Or Crookdake, Bromfield Parrish, County Cumberland (Now Cumbria), Or Carlisle, Wigton Parish, Cumberland County, Scotland; Brides Kirk Church. was born in England; died on 16 Nov 1759 in England Records. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Please check this: BIRT: CONC Cumberland (now Cumbria), Scotland
DEAT: CONC Scotland

Notes:

Note: There is clearly something wrong with his place of birth!

The following is as it was received.

SOURCE: THE ROYALTY OF SCOTLAND; http://www.heraldry.ws/
THE HOUSE OF STEWART
EXCERPTS:
ROBERT II, (only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward ofScotland, and Marjorie Bruce, daughter of ROBERT I), born 2 March,1315-16, Steward of Scotland, 9 April, 1326, Regent 1335-41, and1346-57, created Earl of Atholl, 16 February 1341-2, Earl ofStrathearn before 1357-8, and crowned at Scone, 26 March, 1371. Hemarried firstly (dispensation dd 22 November 1347), Elizabeth (diedante 1355), daughter of Sir Adam Mure, of Rowallan. By her he hadpreviously had issue,...etc....
Robert II, married secondly (Papal Dispensation 2 May, 1355), Euphemia(died 1387), widow of John Randolph, Earl of Moray, and daughter ofHugh, Earl of Ross, and by her had issue,
+Egidia, married 1387, Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale, natural sonof Archibald, third Earl of Douglas, and had issue.
Robert II died at his Castle of Dundonald, 19 Apri1, 1390, and wassucceeded by his eldest son, John Stewart, Earl of Carrick,...etc..."
NOTE: The above site gives a complete history in short version ofeach personage in Scotland's Royal History, and is an excellentoutline of the royalty. The site also offers free coat of arms onvarious families in Scotland and Ireland, plus in some cases even hasa history of that family's beginnings. This will be a site you willwant to keep as a reference.

SOURCE: Dumfries and Galloway - South West Scotland
including Moffat, Lockerbie, Thornhill
Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas
The south west corner of Scotland has a beautiful coastline and manypicturesque seaside villages on the Solway Firth. There are plenty ofopportunities for walking, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding,watersports and golf, not to mention numerous gardens to visit thanksto the relatively mild climate. Galloway has Britain's largest forestpark which includes woodlands, moorland, mountains and lochs.
The area has lots of historic places of interest including picturesqueThreave Castle, Caerlaverock Castle and Sweetheart Abbey. Principaltowns include: Dumfries (home to Robert Burns at one time),Kirkcudbright (the Artists' Town), Castle Douglas (the Food Town) andWigtown (the Book Town).

SOURCE: www.old-kirkcudbright.net
"History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway.
by P.H. McKerlie.1878.
PARISH OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT; EXCERPTS FROM A VERY LONG ARTICLE;http://www.old-kirkcudbright.net/landowners/mckerlie.asp
"We next learn that, in July 1300, King Edward I., with his queen andcourt, occupied the castle for ten days as his residence when heinvaded Galloway. He made an oblation of seven shillings at the altarof the convent or monastery of Grey Friars. When there, he receivedfrom the town of Drogheda a present of eighty hogsheads of wine. Thedistrict was afterwards cleared of enemies by Edward Bruce, and thecastle bestowed on him by his brother King Robert. At his death itreverted to the crown. It was next granted in 1369 by David II. toArchibald Douglas, with whose descendants it remained until theirforfeiture in 1451, when it fell to the crown. King David II. alsogranted the Constabulary of Kirkubry to Fergus M'Dowgall, with anethree merk land."
"In 1455 King James II. visited Kirkcudbright, on his way to takeThreave Castle. The town was made by him a royal burgh by charterdated at Perth. 26th October 1455, in which the chief magistrate wasstyled alderman. etc..."
"Robert Lidderdale, etc., may have been other children. In 1681,Thomas Lidderdale, along with Grierson of Lag, held one of thegrievous courts at Kirkcudbright, against the Presbyterians. In 1683,he held another court in Twynholm in a severe and overbearing manner.On the 12th February 1698, James was served heir to his father ThomasLidderdale of Sanct Mary Isle. He married Margaret, youngest daughterof Andrew Heron of Kirouchtrie, and widow (without issue) of JohnM'Kie of Larg, parish of Minnigaff. By her he had issue-
Thomas.
- -, daughter, who married John Douglas, surgeon."
It is stated that Thomas, son of James Lidderdale of St. Mary's Isle,went to the West Indies, made a fortune, and on what was called aSpanish voyage (no doubt to the mainland called Spanish Main inseveral parts) he died. etc..."
"It is necessary to give an account of the present family, which is asfollows, - Lord William Douglas (eldest son of William, first Marquisof Douglas, by his second wife, Lady Mary Gordon, daughter of George,first Marquis of Huntly) was raised to the peerage of Scotland in1646, by the titles of Baron Daer [This title is taken from a burn inthe Upper Ward of Lanarkshire.] and Shortcleuch and Earl of Selkirk,to him and his heirs male for ever; but, marrying afterwards Anne,Duchess of Hamilton, he was created Duke of Hamilton for life, when heresigned the earldom of Selkirk, etc., in 1688, which were conferredon his second and younger sons.
[The origin of this family is not clear. It has been assumed that itis from the Manor of Hambledon, parish of Barkby, Leicestershire,which belonged to the Earls of Leicester, and from whose grant theHamiltons obtained the same. The Earls of Leicester are stated to havebeen descended from Bernard, a kinsman to Rollo the Norseman, firstDuke of Normandy who married, in A.D. 912, Sphreta de Burgeudia, andhad issue Turfus whose great-grandson, Roger de Bellomoute,accompanied William the Norman or Conqueror to England in 1066. Hisson, Roth, was created Earl of Leicester, in A.D. 1103, by Henry I.William, third son of Robert third Earl of Leicester, is stated tohave assumed the name of de Hamilton from the place of his birth, andwas the founder of the Hamilton family in Scotland, having gone thereabout A.D. 1216, and to have married Mary, only daughter and heir ofGilbert, Earl of Strathern, and had issue Gilbert Hamilton, whomarried Isabella, sister of Thomas Randolph, first Earl of Moray. Thisis the history as given by Archibald, but it is not consideredsatisfactory.
The first on record in Scotland is Gilbert de Hameldun, who, in theChartulary of Paisley, under date A.D. 1272, is found as Gilberto deHameldun, clerico. It is considered probable that be may have been thefather of Walter, John, and Hugo. A Walter filius Gilberti de Hamiltonis stated to have sworn fealty to Edward I. in 1292 and 1296, but wehave not in this case investigated the Roll, to see how the name
was spelled, which is necessary, as experience has proved to us. Hejoined, subsequently, King Robert I., as every foreigner did whenfortune seemed to smile on his efforts to free Scotland. No credit tothose who then joined. He got, however, from the king a charter ofCadzow, now Hamilton, and at one time a royal property or residence.In subsequent reigns various other lands were obtained. Sir JamesHamilton, in after times rose in influence on the ruin of theDouglases. On the 28th June 1445, he was created a hereditary Lord ofParliament by royal charter, with the land of Cadzhow and Mawehane.James, second Lord Hamilton, was created Earl of Arran, 11th August1503. His son became Duke of Chatelherault in France in 1548, and hisissue were-
James, third Earl of Arran.
John, Marquis of Hamilton.
David, died without issue.
Claud, ancestor of Earls, now Duke of Abercorn.
The title of Duke was conferred, in 1643, on James, Earl of Arran, theelder son of the second Marquis of Hamilton. He had only daughters,and Anna, eldest surviving daughter, succeeded. She married LordWilliam Douglas, eldest son of William, first Marquis of Douglas. Anaccount of the Douglas family will be found under Threave, parish ofBalmaghie.]"

SOURCE: History; For the castle in South Lanarkshire, see DouglasCastle; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmaghie
"Castle Douglas (Gd: Caisteal Dh?ghlais), a town in the south ofScotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part ofGalloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie andGatehouse of Fleet.
Balmaghie (from the Scottish Gaelic Baile Mac Aoidh) is a civil parishin Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is bordered by the River Dee tothe north and east. The River Dee is commonly known as the Black Waterof Dee on the northern border, the name changes with the meeting ofthe Water of Ken to the north west and is then known as Loch Ken alongthe eastern border. Balmaghie parish borders Girthon to the west andTongland and Twynholm to the south. The closest market town is CastleDouglas about 6 miles from Balmaghie Kirk.
Castle Douglas is built next to Carlingwark Loch in which traces ofprehistoric crannogs can be found, evidence of early inhabitation ofthe area. Small Roman forts were situated nearby, built around AD 81but were abandoned soon after.
Nearby Threave Castle was a seat of the powerful "Black" Earls ofDouglas. A small collection of cottages developed by the shores ofCarlingwark, which was a source of marl. These cottages can still beseen on the Western approach to Castle Douglas and are known as theBuchan. The development of a military road through Galloway passedthrough the Carlingwark area and improved transportation connectionsin the 1700s.
Castle Douglas was founded in 1792 by a wealthy descendant of theDouglas family, William Douglas, who made his money in an 'AmericanTrade' and created a planned town on the shores of Carlingwark Loch.The town's layout is based upon the grid plan pattern of streets asused in Edinburgh's New Town, built around the same time. Sir WilliamDouglas also created a number of industries in Castle Douglas,including hand-woven cotton factories from which Cotton Street derivesits name.
The completion of the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway in 1859further improved the town's connections, and it soon developed into amajor market town for the surrounding area. This is still true todayand the 1900 hexagonal market building is in constant use. Althoughthe railway was closed in 1965 the A75 trunk road was developedroughly following the lines of the original military road and passedthrough Castle Douglas. The many hotels and pubs which derived fromcoach stops are an indication of the town's importance as a stoppingplace for travellers.

SOURCE: "Douglas/Douglass
Replies: 17 ;http://boards.rootsweb.com//surnames.douglass/1011.6.2.1.2/mb.ashx?
Re: Douglas/Douglass
Posted: 6 Nov 2008 3:46PM GMT
Classification: Query
I know a great deal about the history of the family having researchedit for years in both the US and in Scotland. The short version is thatat the outset of the Scottish war of independence, a young JamesDouglas was determined to regain his father's forfeited barony. Hecast his lot with Robert the Bruce who was eventually successful inthrowing off the yoke of English domination. Young Douglas and Brucebecame fast friends and the new king rewarded Douglas with not onlythe restoration of the barony, but with substantial land holdingselsewhere.
Some of the land still belongs to the descendants to this day. Allthat remains of the original Douglas Castle is a ruined tower, but bywalking the ground around it, now used to graze sheep, one can stillsee where the outer walls of the castle were and there is a debrisfield where elements of the collapsed interior are still visible.
The medieval hamlet of Douglas, which grew up around the castle, isstill inhabited, and there is a small museum in the former dower housewhere the elderly Douglas women were cared for, with some artifactsfrom the castle.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is the still standing St. Bride'sKirk where James and a few of his vassals ambushed the Englishgarrison that held his father's castle. When I was there, I wasfortunate enough to find someone who could let me see the inside. TheKirk, has not been used in about 200 years (it date from the mid 13thcentury) so going inside to see the tombs of James, The Black Douglas,and his son, Archibald was a real treat. For the record, James'remains aren't in the tomb. It, was opened, in the 1990s for study andit was empty. Rumor has it that his remains are actually interred atone of his smaller castles, which he preferred.
The Black Douglas?s became so wealthy and powerful that theychallenged the king. Had the Battle of Arkinholm gone the other way,there would have been Douglas?s on the throne of Scotland instead ofStewarts. The bottom line is the king's forces won, the BlackDouglas?s were forfeited, and their holdings given to the RedDouglas?s who sided with the king. Thus, at the Battle of Arkinholm,the Blacks and the Red?s, were opposed.
I could go on and on, but that is the quick version without a lot ofdetail.
David" [Transcribed 08 November 2008, SLJuhl RNBSC, Compiler & FamilyGenealogist; sljuhl1234@yahoo.com]

If you are interested--DNA:http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Douglas/

William married Sarah about 1660 in County Cumberland (Now Cumbria), Scotland-England. died on 6 May 1754. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

of Wheyrigg?

Died:
This date of death seems quite late?