Thomas Dunlop Douglas
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Identified as the last member of the
Douglas West India merchant dynasty in Glasgow (as Thomas Dunlop Douglas
of Dunlop), brother of John Douglas, Archibald Douglas and Cecilia
Douglas.
01/01/1776-30/01/1869 left £241,518. West India merchant
in Glasgow, landed proprietor (1861 census); address given as Dunlop
near Stewarton Ayshire (probate calendar). Father shown as
John Douglas,
mother as Katherine (surname unknown) or Cecilia née Buchanan. Married
Rosina (surname unknown). 'It is unclear whether his career was wholly
in Glasgow or whether he had lived in the West Indies'.
Born
1775. Originally apprenticed to a hat-maker and then in turn a hat-maker
in business himself. Became insurance broker and merchant, then a
partner in J., T., and A. Douglas. Married Rose Hunter of
Greenock, no surviving children. In 1845 bought the estate of Dunlop, Garnkirk House in Ayrshire.
When compensation was paid at the end of slavery, he made
unsuccessful claims for British Guiana 157 (Enfield and Nomen Nescio
(?)), British Guiana 2020, British Guiana 476 (Plntn Union) and British
Guiana 584 (Hope).
His claims for British Guiana 550 (Pln Better
Hope) £12,407 13s 2d and British Guiana 586A (Pln Belmont) £3,500 8s 6d
were both successful. See (1)
Thomas Dunlop Douglas, described as a a Glaswegian West India Company merchant, invested £396,100 in the railways around the Scottish Central Belt. Many of these were local Glasgow lines but he was also one of five beneficiaries of slavery compensation who invested over £130,000 in the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which opened in 1842.
Left the bulk of his fortune to Thomas
Douglas Cunningham Graham (possibly a nephew). The value of estate
outside Scotland was over £200,000.
When Thomas Dunlop, who seems to have been
particularly close to the family of his brother Archibald, made
provision for the disposal of his personal property after the death
of the designated heir, Thomas Douglas Cunningham Graham, or earlier
if Graham predeceased him, he named first Helen Stewart, his
grandniece and daughter of his niece, Mrs. Helen Douglas, and the
late Robert Stewart of Glasserton, in southeast Wigtownshire, then
Mary Caroline Douglas Campbell, also his grandniece and daughter of
his niece Mrs. Anna Douglas Campbell, of Carradale. Though the
arrangement was slightly altered by one of the codicils, suggesting
that Mary Caroline Douglas Campbell had either died or incurred some
displeasure by February 1868, the family connection is interesting.
Named as heirs in the same section of the will and, initially, left
similar benefits, Mary Caroline Douglas Campbell and Helen Stewart,
both his grandnieces, were possibly daughters of two sisters, Helen
and Anna, and grandchildren of Archibald. Sir James in the Diary of
his 1864-65 trip mentions Archibald, whom he calls "of Glenart," and
says he knew him. As Archibald's children he clearly gives the names
of Mrs. Seaton Carr and John Douglas, Glenfinart. The entry "Widow,
Mrs. Douglas," referring no doubt to Archibald's widow, is correct,
since Archibald had died in 1860.
His coat of arms are
probably those in Dunlop Parish Church.
See also:
The Slave Trade
Douglas of Glenfinart
Notes:
1. T71/885: claim by Michael McTurk, 'attorney of J., T. and A. Douglas & co, The Board of Orphans representing the estate of Moses Buchanan decd, and Wm Arrindell (senior deceased?) as attorney of Agnes Corse Forbet (?) executrix of C. Douglas senior deceased'. Counterclaim from J. T. & A. Douglas, by virtue of a mortgage for £23477 2s 0d on moiety in possession of Orphan Chamber representing the Estate of Colin Douglas (deceased). 'Replication of the sd William Arrindell as Atty to Agnes Corse Forbet denying the validity of all and singular the documents upon which the counterclaim is founded and also the validity of the mortgage deed said to have been duly passed and registered in the sd Colony on the 8th Sept 1802'.
586B: £1750 4s 3d was awarded to the Board of Orphans, 04/08/1843.
T71/429 p. 174: enslaved persons were registered by John Lane, Board of Orphans and unadministered estates and Wm. Arrindell, in 1832.
2. Robert
Bogle of Shettleston's grandson, Allan (son of Michael, born
1734 and Janet Scott) married 1803 Janet Hunter. She married
secondly Graham of Gartmore, and had one son, Thomas Dunlop Graham,
who was brought up by his aunt (his mother's sister), Mrs. Thomas
Dunlop Douglas of Dunlop, whose husband at his death left him the
liferent of Dunlop. Robert Bogles ganddaughter married john
Campbell Douglas, 18th of Mains.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
Errors and Omissions
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