Hereditary Title for John Gordon Douglas ?

[MonicaL]

I had spotted a marriage of a Harriet Lillias Douglas, younger daughter of the late John Gordon Douglas, Bulowsminde, Wilton Road, Edinburgh and Douglas Lodge Machrihanish (Aberdeen Journal 31 Aug 1910).

1901 Census - there is a John G Douglas, age 62, Wilton Road, Edinburgh, Living on Own Means, born Jamaica. In the same household is Harriet L Douglas, age 15. There is a son, William A. S. Douglas, age 18 (is he the eldest?) born Trinidad. Also in the household is a servant born Machrihanish.

From this info by hanes teulu, there are a couple of entries on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - Wills & testaments database:

DOUGLAS   JOHN GORDON   05/11/1910 - BULOWSMINDE, 40 WILTON ROAD, CRAIGMILLAR PARK, EDINBURGH, AND DOUGLAS LODGE, MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE, D. 13/05/1910 AT 7 ALBANY STREET, EDINBURGH, TESTATE. EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT WILLS. Ref. SC70/4/420   - 12 pages.

Also:

DOUGLAS   JOHN GORDON   05/11/1910. BULOWSMINDE, 40 WILTON ROAD, CRAIGMILLAR PARK, EDINBURGH, AND DOUGLAS LODGE, MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE, D. 13/05/1910 AT 7 ALBANY STREET, EDINBURGH, TESTATE. EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT INVENTORIES   SC70/1/507 - 13 pages.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Following possible marriage details by hanes teulu, previously:

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Douglas Scott Falconer was born on 10 March 1913 at Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, where
his father, Gerald Scott Falconer, was a minister in the United Free Church of Scotland. His
mother, Harriet Lillias Gordon Douglas, came from Edinburgh. Neither of his parents’ families was scientifically notable, with the exception of an uncle of his mother’s, the geographer
Hugh Robert Mill (1861–1950), who was librarian of the Royal Geographic Society with an
interest in Antarctic exploration. He also had a cousin, Charles Falconer, who was a highly
respected surgeon in Edinburgh.
doi:10.1098/

http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/51/119.full.pdf

Monica

[Forfarian]

DOUGLAS   JOHN GORDON   05/11/1910 - BULOWSMINDE, 40 WILTON ROAD, CRAIGMILLAR PARK, EDINBURGH, AND DOUGLAS LODGE, MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE, D. 13/05/1910 AT 7 ALBANY STREET, EDINBURGH, TESTATE. EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT WILLS. Ref. SC70/4/420   - 12 pages.
Also:
DOUGLAS   JOHN GORDON   05/11/1910. BULOWSMINDE, 40 WILTON ROAD, CRAIGMILLAR PARK, EDINBURGH, AND DOUGLAS LODGE, MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE, D. 13/05/1910 AT 7 ALBANY STREET, EDINBURGH, TESTATE. EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT INVENTORIES   SC70/1/507 - 13 pages.

As that gives the year of death, more or less, you can get the death certificate from Scotland's People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and find out who his parents were.

The inventory is a list of his estate - at 13 pages there must have been a lot of assets. The other one is the will/testament. You can download both the inventory and the testament from Scotland's People.

[LaytonLily]

Many thanks for this additional information.   I have to study it to get my head round it, type it up then send it on to my friend in Canada.   She will be amazed !   I will of course, give the credit to the kind people of Roots.web.

Something she did say was that JGD had a male child 'late in life' and I can see on the 1901 census he is given as 62 with an 18yr old son, which seems to tie up.   It was supposedly this son who inherited the title, though what title, who knows.

I had found the Scotlands People website and sent her the web address in case she wanted to register and do her own searching.

I suppose if I / she did get a copy of the Will for Lady Ann (Douglas) and Charles Drummond it might gives some leads to the family members and confirm the link.  Thanks you for explaining what 'Sealed' meant.   The Will for JGD would also be very useful to have, for Wills can give vital clues and information.

[KGarrad]

Many thanks for this additional information.   I have to study it to get my head round it, type it up then send it on to my friend in Canada.   She will be amazed !   I will of course, give the credit to the kind people of Roots.web.

You do, of course, mean RootsChat?!

[MonicaL]

1901 Census - there is a John G Douglas, age 62, Wilton Road, Edinburgh, Living on Own Means, born Jamaica. In the same household is Harriet L Douglas, age 15. There is a son, William A. S. Douglas, age 18 (is he the eldest?) born Trinidad. Also in the household is a servant born Machrihanish.

A little more on son William Alexander Scott Douglas from online trees. Born c. 1883 in Trinidad and Tobago and died Mar (quarter?) 1965 in Northumberland, England.

1891 census in Scotland/Edinburgh - the original image from Scotlands People would help for clarity. Below is as transcribed on index:

John G Douglas 52 Ret W I Mercht b. Jamaica
Harriet E Douglas 37 b. Thurso, Caithness...See below*
William As Douglas 8 b. Trinidad
Annabella M Douglas 6 b. Liberton, Midlothian
Harriet L G Douglas 5 b. Liberton, Midlothian
Joseph Knight 37 visitor b. England, a 'Secy to a Locisty' (from transcript  A Secretary to...maybe)
...and 3 servants.

Address: 139 Mayfield Rd, Newington, Edinburgh/ Liberton

We had from earlier:

...Neither of his parents’ families was scientifically notable, with the exception of an uncle of his mother’s, the geographer Hugh Robert Mill (1861–1950)...

Likely Harriet E above in 1891 was Harriet Elizabeth Mill 1854 – 1917. Her birth is showing as being on 21 August 1854 in Thurso, parents James Mill and a Harriet Gordon Sage Davidson.

William Alexander Scott Douglas is showing as having married an Isobel Frances Somerville 1893 – 1982. Marriage date 20 Nov 1926 in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland.

All of these BMDs are available to view online as images on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/  Costs are very reasonable and quality is great. Given also how much detail we have here, there is much less chance of viewing wrong entries overall which is always good 

Original image of the 1926 marriage for William to Isobel is included on the tree I am looking at.  William A S Douglas, bachelor aged 43 living at 19 Clarendon Crescent in Edinburgh. His occupation is given as Writer to the Signet (I will come back and add some links to explain this occupation for you).

His father is showing as a West Indian Merchant retired and deceased, mother Harriet also decease.

Monica

[MonicaL]

The occupation of 'writer' in Scotland meant a solicitor. You will find lots of links for this online, including a 'writer to the signet' such as here www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/writer-to-the-Signet or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Writers_to_Her_Majesty%27s_Signet

Monica

[Forfarian]

The Register of the Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet lists them with the double surname Scott Douglas.
William Alexander LLB, son of John Gordon Douglas, West Indian merchant, born 7 March 1883, died 21 March 1956. Married 20 November 1926 Isobel Frances, daughter of Rev James Ewing Somerville DD, Mentone and Crieff. (Could that be Menton in France? Can't think of a Mentone in Scotland.)

Hugh, son to above, born 19 May 1929, died 16 April 1979. Married 19 December 1955 Shirley Margaret Chegwidden. Barrister at law in Calgary, Alberta.

There's mention of another son but he could still be alive so I won't post details.

[LaytonLily]

Thank you, thank you, thank you !   How crazy to get excited over information which relates to someone's elses family and really nothing to do with me !    I am always like that though when doing research for others.   A distant cousin asked me to look for her mother's family and I so enjoyed doing it, and was able to confirm a number of 'family tales' when she had no evidence herself for them.   But I had to stop because I said she ought to carryon on with it, as that is where the excitement and pleasure lies, in discovering it for yourself (or when folks on RootsChat find it for you!)

I am tempted to register for the www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk because I am sure there will be treasures for my friend in researching her father's family, but Anne needs to do that for herself now.

There is so much information supplied here I cannot keep up with it !

If William Alexander Scott Douglas was supposed to have inherited a title, then he could not have used it because in the references to him, he doesn't appear to be a 'Sir' or anything to denote a title.