Douglas of Springwood
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Gates of Springwood Park |
A baronetcy is also possessed by the family of Douglas of
Springwood Park, Roxburghshire, conferred, June 27, 1786, on Sir
James Douglas, a naval officer of eminence, who was knighted,
in consideration of bearing home the despatch announcing the
surrender of Quebec in 1759, and was created a baronet for his
subsequent professional achievements. In 1761 he commanded a
fleet in the Leeward Islands, took Dominica, and had a broad pendant
at the siege of Martinique in the same year. On his death in
1787, he was succeeded by his eldest son Sir George, who died June
4th 1821. His son Sir John James, third baronet, married, in 1822,
Hannah Charlotte, only daughter and heiress of Henry Scott, Esq. of
Belford, Roxburghshire, and assumed, in consequence, by sign manual,
the surname and arms of Scott, in addition to those of Douglas. Sir
John was Captain in the 15th Hussars, and served at Waterloo, for
which he received a medal. He died 23d January 1836. His son, Sir
George Henry Scott-Douglas, 4th Baronet, born at Edinburgh 19th June
1825, captain 34th Foot, 1850, retired 1851; married the eldest
daughter of Francisco di Pina, Esq. of Gibraltar; with issue.
Jamie Scott Douglas came from an important Scottish Border family
and his multi-great, grandfather, Sir James Douglas was an Admiral
who purchased some land at Bridgend, beside Kelso bridge, and built
a wonderful house, Springwood Park, in 1750.
When he died the
estate was left to his son George who had a career in the army but
later became MP for Roxburgh. In turn George’s son Sir John James
Douglas fought in the Peninsular war, married the heiress of Henry
Scott of Belford and changed the family name to Scott Douglas. So it
went on down the family tree until 1935 when the incumbent, Sir
George Scott Douglas died in 2004 with no issue.
The Douglas family owned the estate of Springwood Park in Kelso for
six generations.
The first Baronet James Douglas, (1704-1787)
had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, after which, he retired as
an Admiral. He was created a baronet in 1786 and then a Knight of the
Order of the Bath. In 1750, he bought the estate of Bridge End, and
renamed it Springwood Park.He married twice: firstly in 1753 to Helen,
daughter of Thomas Brisbane of that Ilk, and secondly to Lady Helen
Boyle, daughter of John the Second Earl of Glasgow.
The second
Baronet was his son George Douglas (1754-1821) who served as a Captain
in the 21st Foot. During the threat of invasion by Napoleon, he
commanded the Kelso Volunteers. He became MP for Roxburghshire
(1784-1790) and married Lady Elizabeth Boyle in 1786, daughter of the
3rd Earl of Glasgow. Their son, John James, the 3rd baronet, succeeded
in 1821, served in the 15th Hussars and fought in the Peninsula Wars and
at Waterloo.
Sir John married Hannah Charlotte, daughter and
heiress of Henry Scott of Belford, changing the family name to
Scott-Douglas. They had four children George Henry the son and heir,
Catharine, Mary (Sholta) and Hannah (Charlotte) When he died, his widow
married William Scott-Kerr of Sunlaws with whom she had another daughter
Elizabeth (Mary) before her own death in 1850. Mr Kerr remarried in 1855
to Frances Louisa Fennessy (Mary's governess).
The 4th baronet,
Sir George Henry Scott-Douglas (1825-1885) succeeded at the age of 11.
After attending Harrow, he joined the 34th Regiment of Foot (The Border
Regiment). He was also Brigadier-General of the Royal Company of
Archers. He was firstly stationed in Ireland then posted to Corfu,
during which time he bought a boat called the Vampire, in which he
sailed round the Greek islands; seeing a slave market in Constantinople
and visiting the Holy Land. After being posted to Barbados, he decided
to resign his commission in 1851 and married Mariquita Sanchez de Pina,
daughter of Don Francisco Sanchez de Pina of Gibraltar. They returned to
Springwood Park, where Sir George concentrated on improving his estate
and public works around Kelso. He served as MP for Roxburghshire
(1874-1880).
Of the Scott-Douglas girls Charlotte was the only
to marry. She married Edward Octavius Douglas, her cousin, in 1859. They
lived at Killiechassie, Perthshire. There were no children from the
marriage. Catharine died following a period of illness in 1863.Sholta
died in 1905 aged 77.
Their sister Mary Scott-Kerr, married James
Henry Ramsay of Bamff, Perthshire in 1861. She died in 1868 but in that
time gave birth to 3 daughters. Her youngest, Agnata, became a famous
Cambridge scholar and was the mother of the historian James Ramsay
Montagu-Butler.
Sir George had five children. One son died as a
baby and his eldest son, Jaime, was killed on service in Zululand in
1879, leaving his second son, George Brisbane to inherit in 1885. Sir
George had two other sons and a daughter.
The 5th baronet, George
Brisbane Douglas (1856-1935) was the last resident of the house. He was
educated at home and at Harrow. After graduating from Trinity College,
Cambridge, he went on a grand tour. He met the author Thomas Hardy in
1881, and kept up a correspondence with him for many years. Sir George
published New Border Tales in 1892, Poems of a Country Gentleman in
1897, Diversions of a Country Gentleman in 1902 and The Border Breed in
1909. He also wrote a biography of Major General Wauchope, a History of
Roxburgh, Selkirk & Peebles and a wide range of articles on Scottish
poetry, local events and history. He was also Lecturer on Literature at
the University of Glasgow in 1911.
When he died in 1935, Sir
George was succeeded by his great-nephew James Louis Fitzroy Douglas
Scott who was born in 1930. Sir James served in the 15th/19th King's
Royal Hussars and the Lothians and Border Horse. He became a journalist
and member of the Press Club and owned homes in Wiltshire and Cheshire.
Sir James never lived at Springwood Park and it is said that he
rapidly spent his two large inheritances. The contents of Springwood
Park were put up for auction in 1947 and the house was left to decay
until it was eventually demolished in 1954.
Springwood Park bookplates
1. Sir George Brisbane Douglas, fifth Baronet, was born in 1856. He
became a member of our Club in 1876. More than this I need not say. He
uses a small bookplate consisting of the Douglas and Scott crests —
(1) a cubit arm erect grasping a broken tilting spear, all p.p.r.,
for Douglas.
(2) A lion's head erased, holding in its mouth a thistle, for Scott.
Over both, on a ribbon, the motto " doe or die." Beneath the crests, on
an escutcheon, the " Red Hand of Ulster," and below all, " Sir George
Douglas, Bt."
2. Hannah Charlotte, Lady Scott Douglas of Springwood Park, used a
quartered coat, with supporters, and ribbon scrolls, by Lizars. The
blazon is I. and IV., Argent, a human heart gules, imperially crowned
or, on a chief azure three mullets argent, the whole within a bordure
nebuly of the fourth (Douglas). II. and III., Or, on a bend azure an
estoile between two crescents of the field ; in the centre chief a sword
erect p.p.r., and on a canton argent ionr fleurs de lis (Scott). On a
surtout the arms of Scott, without the canton, and in the centre chief
the badge of Ulster. Supporters, on either side a pegasus.
Lady Scott Douglas afterwards married William Scott Kerr of Chatto and
Sunlaws.
See also: •
Scott Douglas mausoleum
• Music
of Springwood Park
• Bookplates
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
Sources
Sources for this article include:
• Whyte, Donald 'Douglas of Springwood Park', Borders Family History
Society Magazine (June 1996) • Notes from a talk by Mr Ian Abernethy c.
2008 • Papers of Sir James Ramsay Montagu Butler (1889-1975) historian:
Small manuscript book of juvenile poems by Mary Scott-Kerr (1846)
Errors and Omissions
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