The first record of this name is William de Douglas who lived in the twelfth century. Grants of land were made to Sr. James Douglas, on of the chief lieutenants of Robert Bruce. They became the most powerful family in Scotland and were a constant threat to the Stewart kings. Their title and estates were forfeited in 1455. Descendants of these Douglases were the earls of Morton, Douglas, Annandale, Moray, Ormond, Angus and Forfar and the dukes of Touraine, Queensberry, Buccleuch and Hamilton.
Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of the Earl of Angus and Princes Margaret Tudor, married the Earl of Lennox and their son, Lord Darnley, married Mary, Queen of Scots, and was father to James VI of Scotland aka James I of England.
Archibald, 3rd Marquis, was created Duke of Douglas in 1703, but dying without issue in 1774, his marquisate and the earldom of Angus devolved on the Duke of Hamilton, while the Douglas estates, as a result of the celebrated "Douglas Cause" lawsuit, passed to his nephew and heir of the line. Archibald Stewart, Douglas of Douglas, to whom the armorial bearings and the Douglas chiefship were awarded by the Lyon Decree of 1771; he was created Lord Douglas of Douglas in 1790. On the death of the 4th Lord Douglas 8n 1857, the estates devolved upon his niece, Lady Elizabeth Douglas of Douglas, Countess of Home, whose great-grandson, Lord Home of the Hirsel, became feudal Baron of Douglas.
It is not known who was chief of the name and family of Douglas and is still not known with certainty. The arms and estate are merged with the earldom of Home; and the Duke of Hamilton became, by marriage with the Hamilton heiress, chief of the name and house of Hamilton.
The lands of Drumlanrig in Dumphries-shire were confirmed on the Douglases in 1412 by King James I. Douglas of Drumlanrig became Duke of Queensbury, but on the death of the 3rd Duke, the title passed to the Earls of March, and in 1810 to the Dukes of Buccleuch. Castles held by the Douglases include Threave Castle in Dumphries-shire, Aberdour Castle in Fife, Tantallon Castle near North Berwick, Bothwell Castle in Uddington and Loch Levin Castle.
The Directory of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625 to 1825 by David Dobson, Volume 1, lists the following early Douglas settlers in North America
- Douglas, Alexander, 22 Husbandman, Scotland from London to Carolina on the "Briton" A. Urquhart, November 1774
- Douglas, Alexander, clergyman. Edu. Edinburgh Uni. sh. 1750. sett. St. James, South Carolina
- Douglas, Alexander, 52, B. 1723, Laborer, Perth, from Leith to Philadelphia May 1774 on the "Friendship", T. Jann.
- Douglas, Alexander. 46. Farmer. Born in Scotland. Wife Catherine 46, born in North Carolina: Hugh, aged 14; Mary aged 11; Archibald, aged 9; Sarah, aged 11. Mentions also Nancy Poston, aged 55, born in North Carolina. Chesterfield County, South, Carolina.
- Douglas, Angus: Born in Scotland during 1759. Died in Richmond County, North Carolina during 1819.
- Douglas, Anthony. aged 42. Merchant. Born in Scotland - Kershaw county, South, Carolina
- Douglas, Archibald. Scottish Highlander. Settled in New Hanover and Bladen Counties, North Carolina. Allocated land grants during June 1740.
- Douglas, Campbell. burn in Kirkcudbrightshire during 1782. Grocer in Charleston, North Carolina. Nat. 19 October 1813, Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, Campbell. aged 69. an accountant. Born in Scotland. Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, Charles 17, b. 1714, Orkney, Indentured servant from London to Jamaica December 1731
- Douglas, Charles, Covenanter, tr. August 1685 from Leith to East New Jersey in "Henry & Francis."
- Douglas, Charles, pre 1782. sett. St. Kits.
- Douglass, Colin - wife and child, from Inverness-shire to Nova Scotia on the "Hector, July 1773. Settled Middle River, Nova Scotia
- Douglas, Daniel. Born in Scotland ca 1735. Married Effie McLean. Died in Richmond County, North Carolina in 1816.
- Douglas, Daniel, 32, Laborer, Cragganfearn, Logerait, Perthshire from Greenock to N.Y., 4 September 1817 on the "William", Purinton.
- Douglas, George, Soldier. D. 1699 Darien, Edin. Pr. 1707.
- Douglas, George, born c 1685 Scotland. Sold by James Trent in Burlington N. J. 21 July 1697
- Douglas, George, 18, b. 1703. Scholar, Linton, Pebbles-shire, Teviotdale. Indentured Servant for Virginia, February 1721 from London to Virginia.
- Douglas (Duglas), Isabella - Born c 1682 Scotland. Imported servant indentured 14 December 1698, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Douglas, James, Born in Galloway during 1772. mariner. Nat. 10 December 1804, Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, James. born in the Lothians during 1776. Turner. Nat. 16 October 1805, Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, James Kennedy. Born in Scotland. Nat. 14 May 1804, Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, James - a Scottish indentured servant, from Liverpool to Virginia, December 1698 on the "Globe".
- Douglas, James, son of George Douglas of Whiterigs, Aberdeenshire. , Surgeon. Settled St. Mary's Jamaica c 1754. Died 1763
- Douglas, James, merchant; res. Carlisle Cumberland, pts. Dr. James Douglas, pre 1781, sett. St. John Middlesex, Jamaica.
- Douglas, James. B. 1732. Customs collector. Ed. Glasgow & Oxford Unis. Pts. John Douglas of Kellhead. Sh. pre 1762. Sett. Jamaica.
- Douglas, James - 67, b. 1718, labourer and wife Janet Neish, 54 with child James, 8. New Abbey, Galloway. From Dumfries to Prince Edward Island. May 1775 on the "Lovely Nelly" W. Sheridan
- Douglas, James, carpenter. Res. Edinburgh. sh. 14 July 1698 from Leith to Darien in "St. Andrew". Married Katherine Waterstone. Children James and Christian. Edin. pr. 1707.
- Douglas, James, ed. Glasgow Uni. 1737. Res. Dunbartonshire. pts. James Douglas of Mains. D. 18 Nov 1766, Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia.
- Douglas, John. Aged 60. Carpenter. Born in Scotland. Marion County, South Carolina.
- Douglas, John. Clergyman. Sh. 1732 to Antigua.
- Douglas, John. Born near Edinburgh during 1773. Cabinetmaker. Nat. 24 September 1802. Charleston, South Carolina.
- Douglas, John: Born in Scotland. emigrated to America during 1788. Settled in South Carolina during 1790. Nat. 4 November 1806. Marlborough, South Carolina.
- Douglas, John 25, Labourer, Kirkbean, Galloway. From Dumfries to Prince Edward Island, May 1775 on the "Lovely Nelly."
- Douglas, John - Labourer, Dundee Angus. . From Kircaldy to Brunswick, North Carolina. June 1775 on the "Jamaica Packet". T. Smith
- Douglas, John, 20, b. 1755. Gardener. Scotland. From Newcastle to Georgia September 1775 on the "Georgia Packet."
- Douglas, John, Born c 1799 in Scotland. From the Island of Jamaica to Boston 1816. Naturalized U. S. Citizen, Washington D. C. 1828.
- Douglas, John. Born in Edinburgh. Nat. 29 December 1799. South Carolina.
- Douglas, John. Aged 50. Coachbuilder. Born in Scotland. Wife, Rachel, aged 50. Born in North Carolina. Elizabeth, aged 19, born in Marion County, South Carolina.
- Douglas, Margaret, servant. Res. Netherthornwhat, Dumfriesshire. tr. May 1767
- Douglas, Mary, born c. 1799, daughter of Lord Selkirk. to Belfast, Prince Edward Island,, 1806 with Thomas Halliday, a Scottish stonemason. Married Halliday. Died October 1859. Buried at Belfast, Prince Edward Island.
- Douglas, Patrick. 35, b. 1740, Mason. Perthshire. From Greenock to New York May 1775 on the "Monimia. E. Morrison.
- Douglas, Patrick, schoolmaster, clandestine marriage. res. Mortlach Banff. tr. July 1750
- Douglas, Peter. Pts. Archibald Douglas of Dornick. sh. pre 1771. sett. St. Thomas in the Vale, Middlesex, Jamaica.
- Douglas, Robert. 15. b. 1706. "A poor lad". Aberdeen. Indentured servant for Jamaica, June 1721.
- Douglas, Robert. Dumfries. From Whitehaven to Prince Edward Island. May 1775 on the "Lovely Nelly. W. Sheridan.
- Douglas, Robert. d. 24 Oct. 1779 St. Kitts.
- Douglas, Thomas, tr. 17 Dec 1685 fr. Leith
- Douglas, Thomas. Tinker, thief. Res. Bannockburn, Stirlingshire. Tr. 1754.
- Douglas, William. Covenanter. res. Bridge of Ken. tr. Aug. 1685 from Leith to East New Jersey in "Henry and Francis".
- Douglas, William, clergyman, pre 1749. Sett. St. James Northam, Goochland County, Virginia. M. Nicholas Hunter
- Douglas, William, aged 21. B. 1754. Labourer. Kirkbean. Galloway. From Dumfries to Prince Edward Island, May 1775 on the "Lovely Nelly". W. Sheridan.
- Douglas, William. Born Dumferline. Merchant in New York. Drowned January 8, 1839.
Douglass - Henry Douglass, of Boston, freeman 1657. His daughter Ann, married 1 September 1660 Eliphalet Het.
John Douglass, of Dover, married 16 September 1687, a widow Nason whose husband is not of my acquaintance, nor her baptismal name as printed in the New England Register, VII, 119.
William Douglass, perhaps of Gloucester first, but of Boston 1640, cooper, freeman 1646, by wife Ann. had Ann , Robert, born 1630; Elizabeth, August 26, 1641; Sarah, 8 April 1643; and William, 1 April 1645; removed to New London, was deacon and representative 1672, and perhaps later, died 26 July 1682, aged 71. Ann, his wife, was daughter of Thomas Mable, of Ringstead, Norhamtonshire.
References: - Hinman's Conn. Settlers, 1st ed. 209; Caulkin's Hist. New London, Conn. 300; Gold's History of Conwell, Conn. 241; Power's hist. of Sangamon county, Ill., 261; Wheeler's Hist. of Brunswick, ME., 831; Amer. Ancestry, III, 194; IV, 67; IX, 198; N.E. Hist;, and Gen. Reg. XXVIII, 69, 75; Goode Gen. 354; Richmond, VA, Standard III, 6; Meade's Old Families of VA., vol. I, 458; Hamilton's biog. of Wise; Robertson's Pocahontas' Descendants; Ransom Gen.; Bullock Gen; Savage's Gen. Dist. II, 63, Douglass Gen.
p. 118: "In addition to the Luckies and Armstrongs, other pioneers from Lancaster County who acquired grants or deeds in the Irish settlement were Henry Schiles (Leacock township,), David Strain (Hanover township), Thomas Douglas (Derry or Colerain township), William Cowan (Salsbury township), Francis Lock (Derry or Paxtang township, patrick Campbell (Derry or Donegal township) Samuel Galbraith (Derry township), Humphrey and John Cunningham (Hanover township), James and John Patterson, Marry Murray (Paxtang or Donegal township), Dennis Lafferty, Michael Dickson, James and David Stewart (Hanover township), Alexander Douglass, Alexander McCorkle (Paxtang or Derry township), Humphrey Montgomery, William and James Porter (Sadsbury or Drumore township), Robert Barclay (Paxtang township), and probably John and Francis Wilson (Manheim township.)
"Before 1740, members of the Woods, Cochran, Little (Or Lytle), and Patton families settled variously in Cecil county, Maryland; in Pikeland, Chichester, Nottingham, and Sadsbury townships in Chester County; and in the Paxtang-Hanover townships in Chester County; and in the Paxtang-Hanover district of Lancaster County. The four families were closely related in both Maryland and Pennsylvania and members of all four probably migrated to Carolina together.
"The will of Andrew Woods, written in Hanover township, Lancaster County, in 1753, mentioned daughters Sarah Cochran and Margaret Patton. In 1761, Samuel Cochran, husband of Sarah, obtained 446 acres of land on Coldwater Creek adjoining a tract belonging to Samuel Woods. Sometime between 1752 and 1757, Matthew Woods, a cousin or nephew of Samuel, acquired Charles Burnett's tract on the headwaters of Grant's Creek. He then sold it in 1757 to Robert Woods, whose will (Dated 1766) contained reference to "Uncle Samuel" and Aunt Sarah" Woods."
In this same book, page 119-120 in footnote 18: "Douglass was in Lancaster County in 1742, and in the Shenandoah Valley (where he was described as a stonemason) later the same year. It is conjectured whether Douglass actually lived in Carolina. Although he sold his land on Crane Creek two months after acquiring it in 1756, he was allowed twenty shillings for ten bushels of corn for the Indians in 1758. Lancaster Common Please, vol. XII (1739-43); Wilson, Tinkling Spring, p. 474; Records of Augusta County, I, 300; N. C. Land Grants, VI, 141; Rowan Deeds, III, 429. Douglass was the stonemason who constructed the foundations of the Tinkling Spring Church in 1742. Wilson, Tinkling Spring, p. 89."
"3:77: Will of Alexander Douglass, 31 July 1800. All my children: William, John, Thomas, Elizabeth and Nancy. Exrs: William Moreland, Joseph Williams. Wit: Solomon Sr. Yewell, Wm Williams, Lewis Williams. Prvd by Wm. Williams. rec. Nov Ct. 1806. Note: Surry Co. 1782 and 1785 tax lists show Alexander Doughlas with 100 A and 1 wp. in Capt. Mosby's Dist. The 1786 tax list adds William Duglas with 200 A., 1 wp. The Surry Co. 1787 tax list shows Alexander Douglas with 100 A., no poll; William Douglas with 200 A., 1 2p.]"
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