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 Researching
our family history can be a lonely task - but it
needn't be. Others are probably researching
similar areas, and by exchanging information, we can
build up our knowledge more quickly, test ideas and
even ask someone better placed to visit cemeteries,
public record offices or libraries to track down
that elusive ancestor.
The
Douglas Archives Community Network is a place
where you, our visitor, can interact with others
researching their Douglas history and genealogy.
You can set up your own profile and page, add a
blog, set up a discussion or post photographs.
You can even decide how your page will look!
Take a look at the
Community
Network and if you like what you see, then
please join us. |
 Angus
Alan Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, 12th Duke of
Brandon, died in June 2010. He held the marquisates of Douglas and
Clydesdale, the earldoms of Angus, Lanark, Arran and Cambridge, the
lordships of Abernethy, Jedburgh Forest, Aven, Innerdale, Machansyre and
Polmont, and the barony of Dutton, and was also pretender to the French
dukedom of Chatelherault. His titles were all Scots bar Brandon and Dutton
– both of which lie separately in the UK peerage. By right of birth, he
held the hereditary office of state of Keeper of the Palace of
Holyroodhouse, and as Lord Abernethy was hereditary Bearer of the Crown of
Scots in Parliament. He fulfilled the latter duty by carrying the crown
before the Queen at the openings of the Scottish Parliament.
Erroneously but popularly acclaimed as head of the house of Hamilton (that
distinction lies with the dukes of Abercorn), he regarded himself as a
Douglas, and sported a kilt of Grey Douglas. He might have been chief of
Douglas but was not recognised as such by the Lord Lyon because of his
double-barrelled surname Douglas-Hamilton.
A full biography can be
read here>>>
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 History
of the Douglas family
Version 1: Sholto Douglas was the mythical Progenitor of the House of Douglas, a powerful and warlike
family in Medieval Scotland. A Mythical battle took place: "in 767, between King Solvathius rightful king of Scotland and a pretender Donald Bane. The victory was so nearly
Donald's when a certain noble man, disdaining to see so bad a cause have good successe, struck in for the king and turned the fortunes of the day. When the king inquired about the knight who had
done such valuable service, somebody exclaimed "Sholto du glasse!"..."Behold the black gray man!".." (Ane Historie of the House and Race of Douglas and Angus, David Hume of Godscroft,
Edinburgh 1646).
2.
There is the following tradition in regard to the origin of the name. In
the year 770 Solvathius king of Scotland, obtained a victory over Donald
Bain of the Western Isles, by the assistance of a man who was unknown to
him. After the battle, being desirous to see one who had done him so
signal a service, he was pointed out to him with these words: " Sholto
Dhuglass," behold that swarthy man. One of this family, Sir William
Douglas, entered into the service of Charlemagne and was the founder of
the family of Douglassi in Tuscany. Sir James de Douglas took the heart
of Robert Bruce to the Holy Land, to commemorate which his descendants
have ever since horn a crowned heart in their arms. Before the death of
Bruce in 1329 the arms of the family were azure, three mullets argent.
3.
The first Douglas to stride across the stage of Scottish history was
Sir William Douglas who fought and died for William Wallace. His son,
Sir James Douglas was a supporter and lifelong friend of Robert the
Bruce. "Good Sir James" died taking Bruce's heart on a
crusade to the Holy Land. The 2nd Earl of Douglas died at the Battle
of Otterburn in 1388 as his army defeated an English force led by
Prince Henry "Hotspur". In 1402 the 4th Earl was defeated by
the same Henry Hotspur at the Battle of Homildon Hill.
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| Douglas of Kirkness | 08/27/2010 | | | James Douglas, 8th Laird of Drumlanrig, d1615 | 08/25/2010 | | | James Douglas, 5th Laird of Drumlanrig, d1498 | 08/19/2010 | | | William Douglas, 6th Laird of Drumlanrig, d1513 | 08/19/2010 | | | Battle of Kirtie, 1484 | 08/19/2010 | | | William Douglas, 3rd Laird of Drumlanrig, d1464 | 08/19/2010 | | | William Douglas, 4th Laird of Drumlanrig, k1484 | 08/19/2010 | | | William Douglas, 2nd Laird of Drumlanrig, d1458 | 08/19/2010 | | | William Douglas, 1st baron of Drumlanrig, b1427 | 08/19/2010 | | | James Douglas, 7th Laird of Drumlanrig, d1578 | 08/19/2010 | | | Douglas with West Indies connections | 08/19/2010 | | | Campbell Mellis Douglas VC, 1840-1909 | 07/26/2010 | | | Dr George Douglas, 1809-1864 | 07/26/2010 | | | Douglas of Tilquhillie | 06/19/2010 | | | Sir James Louis Fitzroy Scott Douglas, Living 1935 | 06/18/2010 | | | Douglas of Whittinghame | 06/18/2010 | | | Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton, 1938-2010 | 06/13/2010 | | | Battle of Bannockburn, 1314 | 06/08/2010 | |
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| General William Douglas, k1747 | 08/27/2010 | | | Douglas of Mouswald | 08/25/2010 | | | Mouswald Place | 08/25/2010 | | | George Douglas of Penziere, k1587 | 08/19/2010 | | | Justice Kipling Douglas, | 07/31/2010 | | | Prof Lawson Douglas, living 1996 | 07/31/2010 | | | Support the Douglas Archives | 07/30/2010 | | | Douglas sword | 07/30/2010 | | | Kym Douglas, living 2010 | 07/26/2010 | | | Lionel Dale Douglas, living 1915 | 07/26/2010 | | | Pilgrim pastors of Iowa | 07/24/2010 | | | Bell - a Douglas sept | 07/24/2010 | | | McGuffog - a Douglas sept | 07/24/2010 | | | Stonypath Tower | 07/19/2010 | | | Douglas of Stonypath | 07/19/2010 | | | Joy Eleanor Douglas, b1959 | 07/16/2010 | | | Ivan George Leopold Douglas, Oct 1969 | 07/16/2010 | | | Hon. Easton Wentworth Xavier Douglas, b1936 | 07/16/2010 | | | Ludlow Lawson Douglas, b1934 | 07/16/2010 | | | Daphne Rowena Douglas | 07/16/2010 | | | Lt. Col. Allan Garth Douglas, b1945 | 07/16/2010 | | | Lt General Sir Robert Douglas, abt 1745 - 1827 | 07/15/2010 | | | Burials in Co Durham 1813-1837 | 07/12/2010 | | | Captain Walter Douglas | 07/12/2010 | | | Douglases in British Guyana | 07/11/2010 | | | The battle of the Bismark and sinking of HMS Hood, May 1941 | 07/11/2010 | | | Lt-Commander James Sholto Douglas, d1917 | 07/11/2010 | | | William Douglas, transported 1685 | 07/08/2010 | | | Birth Notices from the Wigtownshire Free Press | 07/05/2010 | | | Wigtonshire Death Notices | 07/05/2010 | | | Support the Douglas Archives | 06/28/2010 | | | Robert Andrews Mackenzie-Douglas, 1837 - 1910 | 06/28/2010 | | | Battle of Corrichie, 1562 | 06/27/2010 | | | Fiona Douglas-Hamilton, b1961 | 06/27/2010 | | | John Woolman Douglas, 1921-2010 | 06/18/2010 | | | Lennoxlove | 06/13/2010 | | | Alexander Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton, 1978- | 06/08/2010 | |
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Recent research has revealed considerable
Douglas involvement in the development of world trade in the sugar
industry. but it is an area about which we wish to learn more.
can you contribute?
>>>.
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Douglases on TV
In 1452 James invited William, 8th Earl of Douglas,
to Stirling Castle. James demanded that Douglas end an alliance with
the MacDonalds. In the argument that followed Douglas was stabbed to
death. See the
BBC video here>>> and look for 1452 AD |
Want to say thank
you?
Have you benefitted from
the Douglas Archives? If you would like to
say 'Thank you', then now you can
make a small donation to make the
website an even better resource for future researchers. |
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Slaves and
slavers
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The
Douglas Heart |
The
Douglas Store |
Slaves and tales of daring-do, as the Douglases
hunt down the slave traders>>
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A heart features on many Douglas family coats of
arms, cests etc, including the one at the top of this page.
Find out why...
>> |
Our store is now open for business! Books, videos and
much more. Visit the Douglas Heritage
store...
>> |
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Are you a Douglas descendant of any of the Earls of Angus, and
descendants of the Earls of Morton prior to the 1700s? The Douglas
DNA project needs samples of men who are known to be descended from
these two lines, in order to verify the DNA types involved. We want
to do this in order to allow modern Douglas families to focus their
geneaological research into the correct branches of the Douglas tree
to find their ancestors. If you are known to descend from these
lines the Douglas DNA project may be able to pay for your DNA test.
Lineage testing by DNA
>> |
We are hoping to make contact with members of the Douglas family who
have been in Europe for centuries. Douglases have been in Sweden,
Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, and possibly other countries, for
many generations. We would like to find male representatives of
these families to assist our Douglas DNA project. The Douglas DNA
project may be able to pay for DNA tests for suitable candidates
from these families.
Lineage testing by DNA
>> |
Almost all people of native
European descent, wherever they may live throughout the world, can
trace their ancestry back to one of seven women, hence, the Seven
Daughters of Eve.
>>
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We have now made available a selection of books on the Douglas
family, Scottish history and genealogy all available direct from
Amazon.
>>
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Google news headlines from around the world
on stories involving 'Douglas'.
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A recent painting of the
Black Douglas has been unveiled.
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James
Douglas chess piece
This pewter model is part of Nigel Tranter's Bannockburn Limited
Edition Chess Set. This specially devised and commissioned by
Morag and John Morgan exclusively for
Cornerstone
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James of Pittendreich was Lord High Chancellor and then Regent
of Scotland in the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. He was executed
for complicity in the murder of Darnley on June 2, 1581.
>>
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James
Douglas is a legendary figure in British Columbia, from his fur
trade days at Fort St. James to his dual governorship of
Vancouver Island and British Columbia.
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How The Douglas Archives
work: |
What else is new?? |
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We have collected
information from a variety of sources, some of it contradictory!
Where the errors
are obvious, we have corrected them; where there is doubt, we have
shown both options.
Scripts from old
documents may not have scanned in well, and these will be amended as
time goes by.
The early history
of the Douglases is far from certain. Early chroniclers often
got it wrong. The editor of The Douglas Archives claims to be
no better!
Researchers are,
as always, advised to verify information before taking it as gospel.
There are two search options - one for
the history section and one for the genealogy section. Try
both to find your missing ancestor. oh yes! The community
network also has its own search facility.
If you find
something wrong - let us know.
If you find something missing -
tell us what it is. This Archive is built from everyone's
contributions. Thank you.
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Major changes to the site will be notified through our Community
Network. Additions and significant
revisions to the History section are listed above.
Details of the last 12 individuals added to
the database in the past 30 days are automatically recorded. With
over 100,000 names, this growing resouce will prove invaluable to
researchers.
>> |
A TV programme charting the lively lifestyle of
Princess Margaret has thrown up some interesting Douglas connections.
>>
The royal marriage between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker
Bowles brings more Douglas connections.
>>
Further royal connections can be discovered
here...
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Edinburgh
Castle was the site of the infamous "Black Bull's
Dinner" where 16 year old sixth Earl of Douglas and his 14
year old brother David were murdered in front of their 10 year
old King (James II). >>
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Concerns are being expressed about the
future of the Mausoleum in Castle Douglas
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The Scots won the battle and
captured the English leader Henry (Hotspur) Percy. When he offered
to capitulate, he was directed to surrender to the bush under
which Douglas was lying and so the battle became famous because it
was won by a dead man.>>
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Not all Douglases have
been goody goodies - read about horse thieves, and others.
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Other stories of interest can be found in our
Articles section.
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"In the margin, about one-third into The Book of Clan Douglas, Volume III,
are written the words: `This is about the time when the Earth began'."
(Mary Murray, nee Mary Douglas, of Earltown: 1991)
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I have still a lot of work to do on this
section, and all contributions will be welcomed.
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 Click
to enlarge this picture of Lance Corporal of Horse Chris
'Dougie' Douglass, serving in Afghanistan with Prince
Harry.
The father of Lance Corporal of Horse Chris 'Dougie'
Douglass, 27, had wondered why his son had
stayed so tight-lipped about his desert
operations.
Gary Douglass, 55, from Sunderland said:
"Usually he sends us emails and rings to let us
know he's OK. But this time he did not tell us
much about what he was doing. Now we know why.
His mother has been very worried about him."
Chris, who lives in Army accommodation in
London with his wife and two children, Jake, 11,
and Reece, five, said: "Harry's always got a
smile on his face. Nobody cares about his
background."
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How many ancestors do I have?
I have been wondering how many ancestors I might have...
Two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents... If I continue this series back at 3 generations per century, I find I have over a
billion Viking-era ancestors. And 10^18 in the Roman era. And so on. This is plainly wrong.
Where is the flaw in the logic?
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