Alexander Douglass, the patriarch of this Douglass family in America, was born about 1722 in Ardclach Parish, Nairnshire, Scotland. He married Christian Grant, daughter of Alexander Grant and Janet Rose, on July 31, 1751. Eight children were born to them in or near Lynmore, Ardclach Parish. The family emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, sailing from Inverness, Scotland, and arrived around the time of the Boston Tea Party (1773). Five of their eight children died at sea during the journey. It is believed that Alexander and Christian lived in the Albany, NY area and that they are buried near Lake George (formerly called Caldwell), NY, but no records have been found for them in that area. The family story is that Alexander and his son, John, both fought in the Revolutionary War against England.
Of their three surviving children, James returned to Edinborough, Scotland, Catherine married John Simpson, a fellow immigrant, and John married Patience Taylor.
Hi Ethel – I’m back at working on the family genealogy. Question: above you say that John married Patience Taylor, but when I go to your genealogy tree I don’t see her listed – ?
You are absolutely right – an oversight on my part. And probably too my indecisiveness about her. I have no proof of any kind of her surname. Her first name (Patience) appears on the gravestone in Halton County. One of the reasons I hesitate every time I write her surname is because I am not sure but what family members several generations back might not have gotten mixed up themselves. I have one old list that says James Douglass married Martha Taylor (not true); another that says Alexander Douglass married Martha Taylor (one genealogist did see a record -no longer available- that Alexander married Martha Taylor as his 2d wife) and the only place I have seen the name Patience Taylor is in the old notes from the Robert Douglass line of the family. However, since much of their genealogy has held up to inspection, I have decided to use Taylor as Patience’s last name (but I don’t like the coincidence that the two women, Martha and Patience, have the last surname and I can not corroborate them in any records anywhere). However, that said, I have added Patience Taylor to the genealogy on my website. Thanks for calling it to my attention.