Writers to the Signet in Scotland was a private society
of Scottish solicitors originating as far back
as 500 years. The Signet being the seal used by Scottish Kings to
authenticate documents. The
writers of these documents were skilled clerks and had to have a
knowledge of both the law and
Latin. Over the years, as the number of seals increased so did
qualification standards to the
Society which were raised accordingly. Writers were admitted to the
Society upon nomination,
usually after serving an apprenticeship.
DOUGLAS, Alexander of Baitford [6 April 1630]; apprentice to Robert
Pringle; son of Douglas of
Stobbs; married (1) 30 June 1629, Agnes Pringle; married (2) Agnes
Lowrie (died 21 July 1695);
died before1666.
DOUGLAS, Alexander of Chesterhouse [I July 1808]; apprentice to James
Dundas; third son of Dr
Christopher Douglas, Physician in Kelso; born 19 June 1780; married
20/Mar/1810 Janet Hardie
Bow (died 27 November 1856 second daughter of Robert Bow, Merchant in
Edinburgh); Fiscal
1844-51; portrait by Sir John Watson Gordon, P.R.S.A. was bequeathed to
the Society of Writers
to the Signet by his son Alexander Sholto Douglas, W.S.; died 1
July1851.
DOUGLAS, Alexander Sholto of Gateshaw [16/Nov/1854]; apprentice to John
Dundas, William
Wilson, and Alexander Bell; son of Alexander Douglas, W.S. (above); born
27 November 1829;
married 16 December 1858, Helen McCaul Forrester (died 16 November 1909,
daughter of John
Forrester, W.S.); died 4 August 1916.
DOUGLAS, Christopher of Chesterhouse [13 November 1834]; apprentice to
James and John
Dundas; eldest son of Alexander Douglas, W.S.; born 13 February 1811;
died 11 November 1894,
unmarried.
DOUGLAS, David [15 December 1825]; apprentice to Robert Rutherford; 3rd
son of James
Douglas, Writer in Dunfermline; married 26 December 1838, Margaret
Lawson Hill (died 4 August
1894, second daughter of Charles Hill of Luthrie, Fife); died 06
September 1886.
DOUGLAS, John [4 December 1794]; apprentice to John Gordon; son of John
Douglas of
Burnhouse; born 1768; died 6 January 1854, unmarried.
DOUGLAS, John Brown [17 March 1833]; apprentice to, and second son of,
William Douglas,
W.S.; born 25 August 1809; married 22 January 1846, Mary Ann Turner
(died 28 April 1910,
second daughter of John Turner of Turnerhall, Aberdeenshire); died 28
April 1880.
DOUGLAS, John Brown [17 July 1879]; apprentice to and son of John Brown
Douglas, W.S.; born
30 May 1852; married 1 June 1882, Emma Jane West (died 27 September
1938, daughter of
Thomas Overy West of Seven-Score, Kent); died 2 January 1908.
Courtesy of Mr Robert Pirrie, Chief Executive, The WS Society,
Edinburgh, Scotland
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