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Douglas of Gyrn

 

 

 

Alexander Douglas, (C1585 - 1661) who travelled in the retinue of King James on his succession to the throne of England in 1603 and settled in Yorkshire. His father is unknown, but recorded as from the Morton line of the House of Douglas. He married a Langdale. They had a son,

Alexander (b1625) who fled to Flanders and his estates were confiscated after he raised and supplied a body of men for the King's service against Cromwell. He married Mary Gregson, and their son,

Thomas (1664-1746) who was a barrister at law at the time of Charles II, possibly serving that monarch. He married Martha Kirton, and they had eleven children, including

John (1707-1762) who was an innkeeper in Hyde Park Road, London and is linked to Fielding's Tom Jones. He married Mary Gardner and one of their ten children (not all survived) was

William (1745-1810) who became the head of the firm of William Douglas and Co., cotton spinners and merchants.  He married Mary Hargreave, daughter of George Hargreave and Mary Marsden and had 5 children, being succeeded by his son, John Douglas of Gyrn, a cotton spinner in Holywell, Flintshire.

John Douglas of Gyrn, (17th September 1770-21st October 1839) was a fustian manufacturer in Manchester, Lancashire, and was a partner in Douglas, Smalley & Co. the Holywell cotton manufacturers. He also established a bank at Holywell, Messrs. Douglas, Smalley & Co, in which his father may have had an interest. He was, in 1821, high sheriff of the county.

See also:

Gyrn Castle

Note:

The crest on the armorial seems to indicate that the family descends from the Douglases of Lochleven and/or the Earls of Morton.