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In the heart of Edinburgh's historic Merchiston, a chance
encounter with the lawyer, Mr. Robbie, a knowledgeable antiquarian,
leads 'St. Ives' to a peculiar stone with traces of heraldic sculpture.
As the two delve into its mysteries, they suspect a connection to the
illustrious Douglas family crest, marked by a chevron and three mullets.
However, due to the stone's battered state and missing tinctures, a
definitive opinion remains elusive.
The stone's resemblance to
those catalogued by John Geddie in Edinburgh's Grange Loan piques
further curiosity. Among them, a memorial panel commemorates "Thomas
Douglasius of Cavers," an honorable figure in business and city offices,
who died in 1686. Erected by grieving heirs, including Richard
Douglas, advocate, the panel reveals a fascinating snippet of the
Douglas family history.
Among the other sculptured fragments collected in a ‘nook’,
beside a canopied recess, is a memorial panel. Bearing a long
Latin inscription, this is defaced and made only partly readable
on account of a strip of two or three inches on the right-hand
side of the stone having been used in sharpening a knife. This
commemorates “Thomas Douglasius [Douglas]” of the Cavers branch
of that illustrious family, a man honourable in business, the
holder of offices in the city and its suburbs, and the
possessor, according to the inscription, of many virtues, who
died on the 9th of August “MDC_”. Geddie adds it was erected by
Richard Douglas, advocate, Robert Bennet, and Robert Blackwood,
the lamenting heirs under his testament.’ His footnote fleshes
out that in 1679 the ‘second bailie’ of Edinburgh was a Thomas
Douglas, and, according to the Register of Interments in
Greyfriars’ Churchyard, one Thomas Douglas, merchant in
Edinburgh, was buried 15th August 1686. He was ‘second brother
to Douglas of Cavers’, and the son of Sir William Douglas of
Cavers and of his second wife, a daughter of Sir James Macgill.
Geddie's research delves deeper, linking
Thomas Douglas to the Lyon Office's recorded arms for 1680-87. Described
as argent with a man's heart, three mullets on a blue chief, and a
border bearing five crescents, the Douglas of Edinburgh arms epitomize
heraldic elegance. The associated crest, featuring a hand holding a
broken spear, and the motto "Do or die," further enrich the family's
symbolic heritage.
As 'St. Ives' unravels the enigma of the
Douglas stone, the layers of history, heraldry, and family legacy begin
to unfold, offering a captivating glimpse into Edinburgh's rich past.
See also:
•
Douglas of Cavers
• Thomas Douglas
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