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General Robert Douglas, C.B.
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General Douglas died at Claygate, Surrey on February 10, 1871, aged
ninety-three. He was the eldest son of General Douglas, RA, commandant
of Woolwich.
The deceased entered the Royal Regiment of Artillery, as second
lieutenant, November 1, 1796, and became lieutenant September 1, 1798.
He served at the capture of the Danish and Swedish West India Islands in
1801, and in the expedition to the north of Germany of 1805-6. He served
also in the Peninsular campaign from February 1812 to March 1814. He was
rewarded with the gold cross for his services at Salamanca, Vittoria,
Pyrenees, and Nivelle, having commanded a field-battery, and a silver
war-medal with one clasp for San Sebastian.
He was retired on Full Pay, 6 May 1835.
He was brother of General William Douglas R.E. and Captain Robert
Douglas who assumed the surname Willan on his marriage with
Isabella Willan
There is a memorial in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Claygate, though the
inscription is now reportedly indecipherable.
At his death, he left four daughters and one surviving son, Major Robert
Douglas, 13th Light Infantry, who is married to his cousin, Miss J.M.
Douglas-Willan. General Douglas's other son lost his life, when a mere
boy, in an attempt to save the life of a drowning person.
Order of the Bath, Military, Companion’s Chapel Stall Plate, General
Robert Douglas, C.B., Royal Artillery, recipient of a spectacular
Peninsular Army Gold Cross, for Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees and
Nivelle.
Yeo family research states:
He was appointed
Commander of the Corps of Artillery Drivers(1) on their establishment in
1795 and retained that appointment until the breaking up of the Corps in
1817. He clearly became a wealthy man - styling himself Colonel
Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Robert Douglas made his
will in November 1826 in which he left legacies of tens of thousands of
pounds to his wife Mary and their daughter and three sons - including a
bequest of £8,000 to Robert junior and any children he might have.
Robert junior followed his father into the Royal Artillery, in which
he had an active and distinguished career too. His service record shows
that Robert junior was born in New York on 28 July 1780, presumably when
his father was serving there. He joined the Royal Artillery as a
Gentleman Cadet on 20 Aug 1794 and rose rapidly through the ranks. In a
long career, he spent 9 years abroad in West Indies (1800/05); Hanover
(1805); the “Peninsula” - ie Portugal, Spain & France (1812/14); and
Malta (1819/20); He served under Wellington’s command in the Peninsula
War where he fought at major battles including Salamanca, Vittoria and
San Sebastian. At some point Robert’s service was recognised by the
honour of Companion of the Bath. Intriguingly, Robert senior made a
codicil to his will on Christmas Day 1826. Therein he revoked the legacy
of £8,000 to Robert junior “and in consequence of the marriage of my son
Robert Douglas unto Dorcas Male that the said sum of £8,000 …. shall be
equally divided among the natural children as have been born of the said
Dorcas Male before his marriage with her and such other children as may
be born to him in wedlock … the said children at present numbering five
and baptised by the several names of Robert (1817); Harriet (1819);
Matilda (1823); Archibald (n/k); and Amelia Dorcas (1825)”. (Note - the
dates in brackets have been identified by the present authors in the
Woolwich, Kent parish register). Robert and Dorcas were married in the
same parish on 16 Dec 1826 - just ten days before Robert senior made his
codicil. Robert senior died aged 83 and was buried on 11 April 1827 in
St Nicholas, Plumstead in accordance with his wishes. His will proved on
20 April 1827. Shortly after Robert senior’s codicil, Robert and Dorcas
had a further daughter Margaret born in Woolwich on 1 Feb 1827 - she was
the only “legitimate” child of Robert’s mentioned on his service record,
which also cites his marriage details. Robert retired from the army on
full pay on 6 May 1835, though in an apparent quirk of military
procedure, he continued to receive promotions in 1841, 1854 and 1859. He
died at Claygate near Esher, Surrey on 10 Feb 1871. His age at death was
recorded as 93. His wife Dorcas survived him by five years, and died in
Alverstoke, Hants in 1876 aged 91. With legacies of over £1000 each from
their grandfather’s will, Harriet, Matilda, Amelia Dorcas and Margaret
must have been desirable brides - the two Yeo brothers Thomas Frederick
and Gerald Aubrey marrying two Douglas sisters Matilda and Amelia Dorcas
in 1852 and 1855 respectively thereby establishing a tie into another
prominent military family.
From
Civilian Contractors to Royal Artillery Drivers: A Short History
Traditionally, the Royal Artillery relied on civilian contractors to
transport its guns and equipment. However, this system proved
unreliable, with drivers often abandoning their posts during battles. To
address this issue, the Corps of Captains' Commissaries and Drivers was formed in 1794, providing trained and disciplined personnel
specifically for handling artillery logistics.
This initial
iteration underwent several transformations:
* 1801: Reformed as
the Corps of Gunner Drivers
* 1806: Renamed the Royal Artillery
Drivers
* 1822: Disbanded, with all enlisted men becoming "Gunner and
Driver" within the Royal Artillery. This distinction was later removed
in 1918, with personnel simply referred to as "Gunners."
It's important to note that the Royal Horse Artillery maintained its own
separate driver corps throughout this period.
The early structure
of the Royal Artillery Drivers faced challenges. Initially, individual
companies operated independently under captain commissaries who held
significant purchasing power. This system, however, led to mismanagement
and financial irregularities. To address these concerns, an "Officer of
Artillery" was appointed to oversee the entire corps, ensuring better
control and efficiency.
Major-General Robert Douglas, a
distinguished veteran of the American Revolutionary War, became the
first Commandant of the Royal Artillery Drivers in 1795, holding the
position until the corps' disbandment in 1817.
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Research:
Not to be confused with:
Source
Sources for this article include:
The Annual Register,1871
Illustrated London News; 4 March 1871
XVIIth Report of the Commissioners of Military Enquiry. London:
Parliament (House of Lords). 1812
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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