John Douglas

1772 - 1840

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Glasgow merchant, partner in J, T & A Douglas (q.v.), and probably the John Douglas who was father of the illegitimate man of colour James Douglas (1803-1877), governor of British Columbia. If so, then John Douglas moved back permanently to Scotland in the 1810s, 'where he had another family, one recognised by British law and custom'.

  1. Will of John Douglas of Donolly proved 03/06/1841. The will identifies his executors as his brothers Colonel Sir Neill Douglas, Thomas Dunlop Douglas of Blythswood, Archibald Douglas of Glenfi[n]nart and James Douglas merchant in Glasgow, his wife as Janet Hamilton and his children as John, Jane Hamilton Cisilia [sic] and Georgina.

Sources

T71/885 British Guiana claim nos. 550 (Pln Better Hope) and 586A (Pln Belmont); T71/887 British Guiana claim no. 2020.

Charlotte S.M. Girard, 'Sir James Douglas' Mother and Grandmother', B.C. Studies No. 44 Winter 1979-80 http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/bcstudies/article/view/1036/1074Adele [accessed 20/04/2011]; Adele Perry, 'James Douglas, Canada and Guyana' Stabroek News 04/04/2011 http://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/features/in-the-diaspora/04/04/james-douglas-canada-and-guyana/ [accessed 20/04/2011]; Adele Perry, '"Is your Garden in England, Sir?": James Douglas's Archive and the Politics of Home' , History Workshop Journal 70 (1) (Autumn, 2010) pp. 67-85; Adele Perry, Colonial Relations: the Douglas-Connolly Family in the Nineteenth-Century Imperial World (Cambridge, 2015) pp. 20-26.

  1. PROB 11/1947.

Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Janet or Jessie Hamilton
Children
With Janet or Jessie Hamilton: John, Jane Hamilton, Cisilia [sic], Georgina. Natural children: Cecilia, James (1803-1877), Alexander

Associated Claims (6)

£236 6s 11d
Awardee
£9,174 19s 1d
Unsuccessful claimant (consensual)
£12,407 13s 2d
Awardee
£13,522 6s 5d
Unsuccessful claimant
£7,168 15s 6d
Unsuccessful claimant (consensual)
£3,500 8s 6d
Awardee

Associated Estates (3)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1826 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Joint owner

Half the estate was shown in 1826 as in the lawful possession of J.T. & A Douglas

1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Joint owner
1826 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Joint owner

Legacies Summary

Commercial (2)

Name partner
 
Partner
Douglas, Gallaway
West India merchant - British Guiana  
 

Imperial (1)

Other
Canada: British Columbia including Vancouver Island 
notes →
Probably the father of James Douglas (q.v.), Governor of Vancouver Island and British...

Relationships (5)

Brothers
Brother → Sister
Brothers
Father → Natural Son
Extra-marital relationships

Addresses (1)

Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Central Scotland, Scotland