George Douglas of Dougher, relative common ancestor unknown

G e o r g e D o u g l a s , r e l a t i v e , c o m m o n a n c e s t o r u n k n o w n P a g e | 1

George Douglas of Dougher, relative – common ancestor unknown

By Jennifer Douglas

We are in touch with two descendants from this family; Alec Sutherland lives in the USA, we have been

in touch with the longest and Rosslyn Bagot who lives in Australia. Our first clue that we may be related

to Alec and Rosslyn’s family was when we found our cluster of Douglas graves in the Old Shankill

Cemetery in Lurgan. Our family writings tell us that there was a family burial ground in or near to

Lurgan, but at the time Mom (Mavis) and I found this cluster (Alec had already visited Lurgan some time

prior to us) we did not yet know who everyone in that cluster were. All we knew was that we were

related to Hillary Douglas as his son Moses is referred to as William Henry Douglas’s cousin (by his son

William Magee Douglas). Once we knew that 5 of the 8 known Douglas burial sites are our confirmed

family we accepted that George Douglas and his family must be related to us somehow. Since we don’t

use the name George in our line, I suspect that our common ancestor is possibly one to two generations

back from Moses Douglas (born circa 1740), but baptism records may not exist. Clues that point to this

are:

1. His family burial site is right next to Moses Douglas and family

2. John Douglas, born 1786 and DNA confirmed family, used the name George in his family

3. John named a son of his Moses Falloon Douglas. George Douglas had a sister named Mary who

was married to John Falloon. They had no children and Mary’s will survives (can be found at

PRONI). She leaves her estate to her nieces and nephews. George had a grandson named

George Falloon Douglas.

4. Other names that are common between the three families are: Robert, James, William and

Henry (in no particular order).

5. When you look at the births of some of Moses Douglas’s children it appears that son Robert was

born in Dougher. Dougher is where George Douglas lived. While we don’t know what home

Robert was born in, it is a potential clue.

6. Our Douglas family was in the Irish Linen Business, with a number being Weavers. We have two

who were in Linen Manufacturing. While it was not uncommon for there to be weavers in

Lurgan ( a major industry in the area), it is a possible tie to George Douglas whose family ran a

Linen Manufacturing business called John Douglas & Sons.

7. All three families (Moses, John and George) were well educated for their time (from my

understanding). Almost all records show that they were able to read and write, John’s memoir a

great example.

8. All three families were in the Lurgan Yeomanry. George Douglas being the Permanent Sergeant

for a time.

9. From the pictures that we have been able to gather from our families, there is definitely a family

resemblance to be seen. I showed my dad (Wm Roderick Douglas) a picture of Alec Sutherland’s

Uncle, Harry McKee Douglas and he thought he was looking at a picture of his grandfather

Roderick Hakwsley Douglas. The resemblance is uncanny. Another example, Anne Hay Douglas

(George’s granddaughter) looks very much like Rev. William Douglas’s daughter, Margaret Carey

nee Douglas.


George Douglas was born in 1770 in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He had four sons and two

daughters with Rebecca Bradshaw. He died in 1841 in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of

71.

We know that George’s father was John Douglas from his 1796 lease with Lord Brownlow:

1796: Brownlow Lease: 1/11/1796 George Douglas, Carpenter, Dougher … parcel of land in

Dougher, 11 acres. In the possession of John Douglas, father.

In 1835 we find George Douglas(s) named in court proceedings as the Permanent Sergeant of the

Lurgan Yeomanry. He submits a list of Yeomanry for the year 1821 – in this list are included the names of

himself, his son (?) John Douglass, Moses Douglass, Hillary Douglass and James Douglass. (A Google search

of Lurgan Yeomanry will take you to this interesting court case).

PRONI has wills for his family that have helped us piece this family together. They are for Mary Falloon

nee Douglas (George’s sister), John Douglas, Robert Douglas and George Douglas (the last three are sons

of George Douglas of 1770).

From these we know that John Douglas had at least one daughter, Mary Falloon nee Douglas and at

least two sons; George Douglas (named above), James Douglas.

James Douglas appears to have died before 1856 and had sons called George Douglas, James

Douglas, daughter named Jane Douglas who was married to a Thomas Jones and a son named

William who was a farmer in Kilmore County, Down. Rosslyn Bagot is descended from this

William. Kilmore, Co. Down, is the only Townland of Shankill Parish that is in County down and is

about 3 miles NW of Lurgan.

1. William was married to Eliz (last name unknown) and they had the following children

baptized at Shankill Parish Church:

a) William Douglas born about 1838 in Kilmore

b) James Douglas was born in 1838 in Down, Northern Ireland. He had eight sons

and three daughters with Jane Morrison between 1865 and 1886. He died on

January 23, 1916, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland (Rosslyn’s line).

c) George Douglas was born about 1842. He married Emma Jane Wilson in 1873.

They had five children during their marriage. He died on July 30, 1882, in Lurgan,

Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of 40.

d) Prsicilla Douglas, born in 1846 at Kilmore, Down. She died 11 November 1874

e) William John Douglas was born about 1851, in Kilmore, Down, Northern Ireland.

f) John Douglas was born about 1853, in Kilmore, Down, Northern Ireland. He had

one son, Isaac Douglas, with Margaret Henderson on October 9, 1876. Isaac was

killed WWI. John and Margaret had three other children.

NOTE: I found the death of Eliza at the home of her son James 27 February 1895. Working

backwards and reviewing the records Mom (Mavis) collecting from Seagoe Parish Church I found the

baptisms of William (1812) and Jane (1814), and their parents are listed as James and Jane.


George Douglas who married Rebecca Bradshaw, the following is their family:

1. John Douglas was born about 1805, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He had three sons

with Mary Ross.

a. William M Douglas was born in 1839 in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He died

on March 12, 1926, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of 87 and did

not marry.

b. George Douglas was born about 1841, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He

married his cousin, Mary Gilbert on September 4, 1872. They had daughters during

their marriage. He died on January 16, 1909, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at

the age of 68.

c. Henry Douglas was born on October 18, 1844, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland.

He married Ella Amelia McKee on April 23, 1874, in New York. They had seven

children in 15 years. He died on December 13, 1916, in Manhattan, New York, at the

age of 72.

John then married Arabella Mills and they had five children together. He died on October

10, 1871, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of 66. John formed a Linen

Manufacturing Business ‘John Douglas & Sons’. His son Henry Douglas settled in New York

and was the USA branch for the business. Alec Sutherland is Henry’s Great Grandson.

2. Robert Douglas was born about 1807. He died on October 12, 1877, in Lurgan, Armagh,

Northern Ireland, at the age of 70 and did not marry.

3. George Douglas was born about 1813, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He died on

December 10, 1869, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of 56 and did not

marry.

a. In 1866 George took the then Lord Brownlow to court as he was being forced to

leave his Dougher property that had been in the family for between 150 to 70 years

(note, 70 years would be back to the year 1796). Newspaper articles from that time

share the court transcripts. The articles tell us that George’s father died in 1841 and

that his grandfather (John) was a carpenter for the Brownlow’s.

4. James Douglas was born in 1818 in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. He married Catherine

Steedman on February 2, 1849 in Edinburgh. They had nine children in 19 years. He died on

July 24, 1898, in Edinburgh, Midlothian, having lived a long life of 80 years. Their home was

called “Lurgan Villa” and was found at Bradshaw Place (90 Gilmore Pl) Edinburgh. Two of his

children married:

a. Jessie S Douglas married John Garrett and lived in Edmonton, Middlesex and had 4

children.

b. Anne Hay Douglas married George C Pringle and lived in Edinburgh and had 6

children.

5. Mary Douglas was born about 1821, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. She married

James Dougan on September 30, 1849, in Seagoe, Armagh, Northern Ireland. She died on


November 7, 1862, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the age of 41. It is not known at

this time if they had children.

6. Sarah Douglas was born in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland (date unknown). She married

John Gilbert on March 20, 1829, in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. They had six children

in 13 years. On March 19, 1860, she died in Lurgan, Armagh, Northern Ireland. Their

daughter Mary Gilbert married her cousin George Douglas, son of her brother John.

Margaret Douglas, daughter of Rev.

William Douglas, left. Ann Hay

Douglas, daughter of James Douglas,

left

Picture from Alec Sutherland. Henry Douglas is likely seated in the center






Northern Whig , 8 April 1922

Northern Whig , 17 December 1926

Northern Whig , 16 March 1926

Weekly Telegraph , 20 March 1926




In memory of George Douglas died 10th Dec 1869 aged 56 years

John Douglas died 10th Oct 1871 aged 66 years, Mary wife of John

died 9th Aug 1845 aged 35 years Rebecca died 15th Feb 1875

Robert died 12th Oct 1877 Arabella, wife of John died 3rd Dec 1902

George died 16th Jan 1909 John died 5th April 1922 Mary wife of

George died 19th Jan 1924 Arabella died 16th Oct 1925, William

died 12th March 1926

In effectionate remembrance of God’s Honoured Servant Herbert S Douglas of Lurgan. Born 9

th Jan

1895, born again 9th

Jan 1915. Died 31st

Oct 1935. Served the Lord in this land, also Venezuela for over 13 years. Also Robert Douglas, father of above and beloved husband of Annie Douglas died 1

st Sept 1936. Also the above named Annie

Douglas died 12th

Juen 1944, aged 52 years




From Rosslyn: My family had to leave Ireland due to

business closure due to motorised transport. My (James

Douglas) grandfather had the Coach and motor business

in Queen Street and made coaches for the wealthy. The

business was called Bullick and Douglas Coach Factory.

They had a large home and garden in Queen Street and a

farm somewhere in the country. He married Jeannie

Sullivan who was daughter of the Linen Factory in Lurgan.

I know my Grandfather was associated from relatives who

had helped William of Orange and his battle against

Catholicism at Battle of the Boyne and he was heavily

involved with the Royal Orange Order in Lurgan.

The 2 families of the Sullivans now live in Western

Australia and the descendant of Douglas lives in Perth


George Douglas of Dougher, relative common ancestor unknown

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