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Thomas Douglas was captain of a company of Mar’s Regiment of Foot during
the Covenanting times.
The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot, which was raised in Scotland to
suppress the Covenanters, during what has been called the Second Whig
Revolt. That revolt lasted a year or so, between 1678 and 1679, but the
persecution of the Covenanters went on for some time afterwards,
reaching its peak in the 'Killing Times'.
The Earl of Mar at that time was Charles Erskine, the 5th Earl. Erskine
was a Stuart loyalist, which meant he was a supporter of the Catholic
king, James VII & II, who had a troubles with the Covenanters before he
was usurped by his daughter and her first cousin, William of Orange, who
became King William II & III and his Protestant wife, James Stuart's
daughter, became Queen Mary II & II.
After the Whig Revolt, Mar's Regiment was used ostensibly to “keep the
peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and rebels.” In fact, the
regiment that came to be nicknamed 'the Earl of Mar's Gray Breeks' was
involved in some serious persecution of the Covenanters, most all of
whom were innocent of any real wrongdoing.
The Covenanters had been around for many years, since before the
Bishop's Wars and the time of Montrose. However, by the time Mar's
Regiment got involved, the Covenanters referred to were really just the
ordinary Presbyterian worshippers. They just wanted to be left in peace
to worship after their own fashion, but King James was having none of
that. The ordinary peasants and their ministers were forced to hide and
have their services in the fields, in makeshift 'churches' behind a
ditch or a drystane wall or under a tree, in what became known as
Conventicles.
Captain Thomas Douglas of Mar’s Regiment of Foot ‘in Galloway, committed
much outrage and spoil’, and Lieutenant William Burnett of Barnes in
Captain Thomas Douglas’ company of Mar’s Regiment of Foot ‘also in the
same Shire [of Galloway] took much Spoyl.’ (1) Captain Thomas Douglas,
who is also alleged to have been 'quite careless in his choice of those
executed'.
Thomas Douglas's company were as much feared fo their plundering as for
their pursuit of Covenanters. The soldiers responsible for the
killing were under the command of Captain Thomas Douglas and were a
company in the Earl of Mar’s Regiment of Foot. 'Finding one Achenleck
(Robert Auchinleck), a deaf man, for not making answer, thro’ defect of
his hearing instantly shot him dead off horseback, near Carlinwork, Anno
1685'. There are variations on the story involving a youth who was
also said to have been shot as he tried to escape on his horse.
The troopers then sole his mount, and that of Auchinleck.
In the Borgue parish, also in 1685, Douglass 'seized a tailor, Robert
McWhae and shot him dead, only because he had some small Pieces of Lead
about him, such as the tailors put in the sleeves of women’s clothes'.
Variations exist on this story, or perhaps conflated with that of a
beggar, and that of the tailor, who might have been called McWhae.
The beggar could be Robert McWhae, or someone named Mowat – or
M’Whae may have been recorded as Mowat. Almost nothing is known about
M’Whae except for the record of his gravestone which says that he was
shot. Mowat was described as a tailor who was shot when he was
discovered with the lead weights of his trade in Galloway. But as we
have seen, this appears to be Auchinleck.
From the inscription on Hallume's grave marker, it appears that Captain
Douglas was involved in both Hallume’s capture and execution. However,
it is likely that Lieutenant Livingstone was responsible for John
Hallume’s capture in Tongland parish, Kirkcudbrightshire and that
Captain Douglas tried and executed him.
David Houston held a conventicle at the Polbaith Burn in yhe Kilmarnock
parish, Ayrshire on Sunday 16th January 1687. In the aftermath the field
preaching, thirty-eight people were identified as among those who had
attended. Within five days of it, Captain Thomas Douglas of Mar’s
Regiment of Foot had captured seventeen prisoners. Two more were taken
at a later date. Many were brought before Captain Thomas Douglas
at Ayr on 21st January 1687, some of whom the went before the privy
council in Edinburgh. George White, a weaver boy, was banished to
Barbados on Mr Croft’s Ship in April, 1687. It seems the remainder were
all liberated.
Mar's Regiment converted to fusiliers and became the Scots Fusilier
Regiment of Foot in 1689, the year of the 'Glorious Revolution'.
However, when James VII & II fled to Ireland, it changed sides. The
following century, during the War of the Spanish Succession , the
regiment performed with distinction, gaining the nickname of 'the Duke
of Marlborough's Own' and in 1712, became the Royal Scots Fusilier
Regiment of Foot. (See footnote)
Notes:
1. Several officers' activities put a stain on the
name of Mar’s Regiment of Foot included Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas
Buchan, “a most violent persecuter” who helped himself to upwards of
4000 pounds Scots; Majors Andrew White (who later became the
Lieutenant-governor of Edinburgh Castle) and John Balfour; Captains
Thomas Douglas and John Dalziel; and Lieutenants William White, William
Burnett of Barnes (the great-grandson of the 'Hoolet of Barns') who was
known to have appropriated “much Spoyl” and John Bell, who shot a man
called William Paterson at Strathaven Castle, without any trial, for
refusing the abjuration.
2. The Royal North British Regiment of Fusiliers derives its origin from
the commotions in Scotland, during the reign of King Charles II., who
attempted to establish Episcopacy in that country; but was opposed by
the Presbyterians, who wished to adhere to their religious institutions,
and prosecutions being used in Scotland by the Government, to enforce
obedience, collisions occurred between the inhabitants and the military,
which were sometimes attended with loss of life. Several Highland clans
were called out, in 1678, and quartered upon the Presbyterians, and in
the autumn of the same year a regiment of foot was added to the military
establishment of Scotland, of which Charles, Earl of Mar, was appointed
Colonel, by commission dated the 23rd of September, 1678: this corps,
having been retained in the service, now bears the title of the 21st
Regiment of Foot, or the Royal North British Fusiliers.
In the summer of 1693, in Flanders, the North British Fusiliers
accompanied King William to the vicinity of Tirlemont. The regiment had
Captains Campbell and Strayton, Lieutenants Douglas and Dunbar, and
Adjutant Walle wounded; Captain Paterson taken prisoner; also a number
of soldiers killed, wounded, and prisoners.
At the battle of Blenheim, on the 13th of August 1704, Lieutenant J.
Douglas was amongst the wounded.
In the summer of 1803, in Ireland, Lieutenant Douglas, who commanded the
light company, and Adjutant Brady, particularly distinguished
themselves, and were each presented with a piece of plate by the city of
Dublin, accompanied with the expression of the gratitude and admiration
of the citizens, for their gallant exertions.
Comment: The connections between Thomas Douglas and the Lieutenant
Douglases are not known.
3. Thomas may be the son of
William Douglas, 11th of Cavers.
He is described as the brother german (i.e., half brother) to the deceased laird of Cavers.
This would be
Sir William, 12th laird who died in 1698
and was succeeded by his brother, Archibald. This
Thomas had a son, Andrew, who was Paymaster to the navy.
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