Eighteenth Generation
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Sir Robert DOUGLAS of Blackerston, Blythswood, Gorbals28,29,30 was born about 1593 in Gorbals,
Lanarkshire, Scotland.18,31 Between 1661 and 166332 He was a member of the Scot parliment He died
after 12 Mar 1669 in Scotland.2
He has Ancestral File Number AFN: 2439-471. Sir Archabald Douglas
the first son and heir of Alexander Douglas, 9th Laird of Mains, became the 10th
Lalrd of Mains. His wife was Isobel of Blyswood, married 22 July 1633. He died
1 July 1647 leaving his entire estate to his wife. Due to heavy debts, the landed
estate of Mains was deeded over to John Douglas, a relative. At this time Mains
stayed in the Douglas family but passed to another Douglas line.
Sir Robert obtained the barony of Blackerston by marriage. He purchased Blythswood.
It should be noted that Col. John Douglas's plantation in Maryland was named
Blythswood (Blythswood) the name of the Manor in Scotland.
As part of the marriage settlement, Viscount Belhaven deeded the Gorbals barony
to Sir Robert Douglas. Sir Robert and Dame Susanna Douglas lived in the Gorbals
Castle a mansion house, tower and fortalice with a chapel at the end of the building.
Many of the buildings, apart from the chapel, were built by Viscount Belhaven
and Sir Robert Douglas after 1635. On 27th July 1639 the Town Council granted
a licence to Sir Robert to take a hundred cart loads of stones from the town's
quarries to build out the dikes of his yard near the Clyde beyond the bridge.
Sir Robert, as did most Scots, suffered greatly from the ravages of Oliver Cromwell.
This was the primary cause of his financial problems along with a default , of
the city of Glasgow, on money owed to him for their purchase of the Gorbals Baronary
Sir Robert was a leading Scottish royalist during the British Civil War. He
joined the uprising of the Marquess of Montrose with a troop of one hundred horse,
which gives some idea of his great wealth. Montrose was ultimately defeated and
hung, and Sir Robert was imprisoned for nine months and fined £1,000 for
his part in the uprising.
During the King's imprisonment on the Isle of Wight in 1648, the Scottish parliament
decided to mount a rescue and voted to provide 30,000 foot and 6,000 horse. They
sought to gain the support of the Kirk by agreeing to the Covenant. A rising
took place by those opposed to aiding the king, but they were defeated at Mauychlin
Moor by General Middleton on 4th July 1648 before they could become properly
organized. In 1649 the Scottish Parliament referred to its "approbation
of the Earl of Callendar and General Major Middleton for their base, cruel and
unnatural proceedings against the honest and conscientious people who met at
Mauchlin Moor for their own defence." Sir Robert Douglas is named as a "prime
malignant" and required to pay the fines of "the honest men in the
West for being at Mauchlin Moor." Sir Robert agreed to sell to Glasgow Corporation
the barony of the Gorbals for a sum of money which was so large that it required
special arrangements for its payment: "sax score thousand merks (120,000
marks, or £80,000)". Half of the money was to be paid by Hutchison's
Hospital and the toerh half jointly by the town and the Crafts Hospital. The
30,000 marks to be paid by the crafts was divided between the deacons (8000),
tailors and maltmen (6000 each), smiths, skinners and cordwainers (2000 each),
the weavers, wrights, masons and baxters were to pay lesser sums of 1000 and
500 marks. The agreement was arbitrated by the Laird of Bardowie, who was Sir
Robert's brother-in-law.
Oliver Cromwell's government granted to Patrick Parke, an Edinburgh merchant,
the lands and barony of Blackerstone...."with the castles, mills, mill lands,
coalheughs, woods, fishing, etc. of the said lands and teinds of the same pertaining
to Sir Robert Douglas of Blaikerstoune, knight."
John Fairholme, a merchant's son, was granted further lands and teinds belonging
to Sir Robert Douglas. The royalist Scottish landowners were under dire threat
of such confiscation following the burden of debt which they owed during the
Cromwellian occupation.
James, Earl of Home, James Earl of Hartfell and Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerton
rented a petition to Cromwell on behalf of the Scottish landowners. The Protector
referred it to Lambert and Pickering for a report. The Committee found that the
orders for sequestration of property had expired on 12th May 1655 and that to
impose further punitive methods would encourage rebellion and insurrection. They
therefore urged the Protector to allow some mitigation.
Having been fined, lost his home, lands and property in the king's cause, and
been identified as a "prime malignant", Sir Robert was commended by
King Charles II on his restoration : his loyalty was not repaid with any tangible
reward.
From: 'Historical preface: 1647-49', Charters and Documents relating to the City
of Glasgow 1175-1649: Part 1 (1897), pp. CDLXXV-DXIX. URL: http://www.british-
ANCESTRY VERIFIED BY DNA ANALYSIS
Act Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerstone
The estates of parliament, having taken into their consideration the supplication
of Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerstone, showing that he had paid the sum of 18,000
merks Scots for two parts of the fine imposed upon him and desiring, in respect
thereof and of the act of parliament made at St Andrews, that he may have deduction
and allowance of the debts owing by him and for two troops of horse put out by
him for his delinquency out of the third part and third term's payment of his
said fine, as the supplication more fully purports. The said estates of parliament
find the desire aforesaid reasonable and grant the same, and therefore ordain
him to have allowance and deduction, which they hereby grant to him for what
debts and troops of horse he shall testify by his oath were owing and put out
respectively by him, according and conforming to the aforesaid act of parliament
at St Andrews. And for this effect the estates of parliament remit to the committee
of estates and do hereby give warrant to them to take the oath of the said Sir
Robert Douglas, supplicant, anent the aforesaid debts owing by him and troops
of horse put out by him for his said delinquency, and thereafter accordingly
to grant deduction for the same to him in the aforesaid third part and third
term's payment of his said fine, according to the said act of parliament at St
Andrews, for the which this act shall be a warrant.
http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSE00802
Sir Robert DOUGLAS of Blackerston, Blythswood, Gorbals and Elizabeth DOUGLAS
were married on 6 Mar 1624 in Gorbals, Lanarkshire, Scotland.2 This reciet verifies that Sir Robert Douglas obtained
Blackerstoun from his father in law William Douglas father of Elizabeth Douglas
on 1 July 1631
RECEIPT BY ROBERT DOUGLAS OF BLACKERSTON FOR FEU DUTIES
"The original has been mounted on b1ack card. It was originally folded,
and has a tear at the junction of one of the folds. it is not known if anything
is written on the back.
Main text;
I Robert Dowglas of blakerstone grant me to haif resavit from Patrik | Home of
bromehous the soume of Sax punds money of this realme and that | in full and
Compleit payment of his feu deutie for his lands of broumehous | for the witsonday
and martimes termes in the yeir of God J?? and threttie | yeires quhilk soume
of Sax punds money forsaid grant me to haif resavit from | the said Patrik Home
for the dewtie above writtin And therfore I the said | Rot Douglas exoners and
discharges the said Patrik Home his airs and executors | of his geir of said
above writtin and of all vthers yeires and termes few duewtie | of his lands
of broumehous since the entrie of umqll william douglas of bla | akerston my
father in Law be this my dischairge subscryvit wt my hand at | edr the first
day of Julij 1631 yeires befoir thir witness Alexr home servitor | to me the
said Rot Douglas and patrik Craw of heucheid wryter heirof
Patrik Craw witnes R Dowglas
1631 allexr Home witnes
Erd Thomsone Consentis
Robert miller wittens (wittnes?)" Elizabeth DOUGLAS
(daughter of Sir William DOUGLAS Knight of Blackerstoun and Ivelie and Elizabeth
HOME) was born about 1599 in Midlothin, Scotland. She was christened
on 14 Oct 1599 in Western Gillet, Scotland.33
She died ca1632 in Lanarkshire , Scotland. On 27th February,
1632, Grizzel Douglas, and her sister Elizabeth, were served heirs portioners
to Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Robert Douglas of Blackerston, in Hallbank, Northfield,
St Abb's,Steil,Caponlands,Sacristancroft, Armstrong's Park, Beepark (Abbey
Sir Robert DOUGLAS of Blackerston, Blythswood, Gorbals and Elizabeth DOUGLAS
had the following children:
97 | i. | Robert DOUGLAS died in 1664. |
98 | ii. | Grizel DOUGLAS34 was christened on 10 Jan 1632 in Cannongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. She died bfe 6 June 1632 in Iville, Berkshire, Scotland.35 |
+99 | iii. | Elizabeth (Sophia) DOUGLAS The Younger. |
Sir
Robert DOUGLAS of Blackerston, Blythswood, Gorbals and Dame Susanna DOUGLAS were
married on 2 Feb 1635 in St. Andrews Church at Holborn, England.36,37,38,39 Conducted
by the Bishop of London
Dame Susanna
DOUGLAS (daughter of Sir Robert DOUGLAS Knight First Viscount of Belhaven
and Elizabeth WHALLEY) was born about 1617 in London, England.40 She was confirmed on 2 Feb 1635 in London, England.
She died about 1665 in Edinburgh, Scotland.41
He has a registered testament On 20 December 1692 Lady Mary Johnstone,
daughter of Sir Robert and Dame Susanna Douglas, filed a bond in the Commissary
Court , in Edinburgh, for collection of monies owed the her mother by John Hamilton
of Bardowie 666 pounds 13s. 4d (Scots), equivalent of 1000 Merks, The loan was
made on 26 January 1653 and had not been filed for collection.
Contrary to poplar belief, this was NOT the WILL of Dame Susanna Douglas. According
to the bond Dame Susanna died in the 1660's the exact day ,month and year were
left blank only "166_ " was recorded.
This bond mentioners her sister, the wife of the Laird of Kittlestone. This
would be her half sister Elizabeth from Sir Robert's first marriage to Elizabeth
Douglas of Ivily
She was also known as Dame Susanna DOUGLAS. Susan Douglas's
birth was legitimized on 30 July 1631, by Royal Decree, when she was thirteen
years old. She died intestate. Sir Robert DOUGLAS of Blackerston, Blythswood,
Gorbals and Dame Susanna DOUGLAS had the following children:
+100 | i. | Col John DOUGLAS Gentleman. |
101 | ii. | William DOUGLAS42 was born about 1640. Proof of parentage |
102 | iii. | James DOUGLAS43 was born about 1643 in ScotFind. Was Appreniced]44 James was appreniced, in Edinburgh, in February of 1665 by the late Sir Robert Douglas of Blackerston |
+103 | iv. | Mary DOUGLAS. |
+104 | v. | Sussanna DOUGLAS. |
105 | vi. | Archibald DOUGLAS was christened on 28 Mar 1658 in Edenburgh Parish, Edenburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.45 |
106 | vii. | Charles DOUGLAS was christened on 22 Feb 1661 in Edenburgh Parish, Edenburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.46 |