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Rev. Mellis Stuart Douglas (1878–1963) “A life shaped by
learning, faith, and quiet resolve.”
Born on 11 December 1878 in Bournemouth, Mellis Stuart Douglas was the second son of
Dr Justyn George Durham Douglas, M.D., J.P., and Augusta May Douglas (née Ram). The Douglas household—first at Tantallon on Madeira Road, then later of the same name in Sherborne—was one of dedication to education, service, and Christian values. After his father's untimely death in 1893, Augusta relocated the family to Dorset, where eight of her sons would become day boys at Sherborne School, cementing their legacy within the community.
Mellis’s own academic journey began at Epsom College in 1892, followed by Sherborne School from 1894 to 1898. He excelled in the Sixth Form, earned the Greek Prose and Verse prize, and served as a Prefect. That same year, he returned to Sherborne Prep School as an Assistant Master, nurturing younger minds with the same earnestness he had shown in his own studies.
Awarded an exhibition to Queens' College, Cambridge, he read Classics and graduated with honours in 1903. That same year marked his ordination, and the beginning of a committed ecclesiastical career. His first parish post was as Curate of Highfield (1903–1909), after which he accepted a pioneering appointment as Principal of Christ Church College, an SPG Mission in Cawnpore (Kanpur), India. There, he also served as a Fellow of Allahabad University, combining missionary work with a passion for classical education and interfaith respect.
Upon returning to England, Mellis held a series of clerical appointments: Vicar of Whitchurch, Hampshire (1923–1933), where on 3 December 1929 he married Constance Spencer Portal at All Hallows’ Church; Rector of Nursling (1933–1938); Vicar of Pakenham near Bury St Edmunds (1938–1946); and finally Rector of Child Okeford, Dorset (1946–1949).
In retirement, he and Constance settled in Sherborne. In July 1949, they purchased The White House on The Avenue, where they lived a peaceful domestic life—Constance even placed an advertisement later that year seeking a cook-general for their modern home, charmingly outfitted with an Esse stove.
Mellis Stuart Douglas died in Sherborne on 3 March 1963 at the age of 84. He is buried alongside his wife in Sherborne Cemetery—a figure remembered for his modest leadership, intellectual grace, and enduring connection to the church, his family, and the Dorset community.
Mellis's siblings pursued lives marked by dedication and distinction, stretching from Britain to West Africa and the Indian subcontinent:
- Saxton Edward Douglas (1877–1910) – Colonial administrator and planter in Nigeria and Malaya.
- Rev. Mellis Stuart Douglas (1878–1963) – The subject of this account, priest and educator.
- Kenneth Justyn Douglas (1880–1940) – Nigerian Civil Service officer and WWI veteran.
- Muriel Stopford Douglas (1881–1957) – Soprano and WWI Red Cross nurse.
- Stopford Cyril Douglas (1883–1928) – Naval officer, submariner, and lifeboat inspector.
- Rev. Eric Campbell Douglas (1885–1971) – Army chaplain, vicar, and Fellow of Queens' College.
- Rev. Andrew Wilmot Douglas (1886–1961) – SPG missionary and vicar in India and Wiltshire.
- Rev. Justyn Langton Douglas (1888–1941) – Hospital chaplain and vicar in Dorset and Wiltshire.
- Rev. George Hamilton Douglas (1890–1960) – South African railway chaplain and vicar in Portsea and Devizes.
Each sibling carried forward the Douglas family’s legacy of scholarly, spiritual, and civic contribution—woven into the cultural and ecclesiastical fabric of Britain and abroad.
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Constance Spencer Portal Douglas (1891–1991)
Born on 25 November 1891 at 37 Hans Place in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Constance Spencer Portal was the daughter of Sir Spencer John Portal, Director of the Royal Exchange Assurance, and Dame Mary Laura Florence Mure of Bere Hill, Whitchurch. Raised in a household of dignity and civic responsibility, her early life was shaped by a devotion to duty and an enduring sense of faith.
Constance’s family knew both privilege and sorrow. Her brothers, Oldric and Raymond Spencer Portal, each answered the call of service in the First World War. Oldric fell in 1917 and lies buried at Saint-Nicolas British Cemetery in Calais; Raymond perished in 1916 aboard HMS *Invincible* during the Battle of Jutland. The losses would cast a solemn shadow over a family otherwise marked by public service and resilience.
In her own right, Constance was a committed churchwoman, serving as Diocesan Secretary of the Girls’ Diocesan Association—an appointment that reflected her leadership and concern for the spiritual and practical welfare of young women.
On 3 December 1929, she married Rev. Mellis Stuart Douglas at All Hallows’ Church, Whitchurch. Together, they built a life grounded in shared faith, scholarship, and a love for their community. After her husband’s retirement, the couple settled in Sherborne, where in July 1949 they purchased The White House on The Avenue by private treaty. A newspaper advertisement later that year offers a charming glimpse into their household: Mrs Douglas sought a cook-general for their “convenient modern house with Esse stove,” noting there were “two in family” and “good outings” to be had.
Following her husband’s death in 1963, Constance eventually returned to Whitchurch, where her life quietly came full circle. She died on 9 June 1991 at Bere Hill Nursing Home, not far from the family estate where her story had begun nearly a century earlier. She was 99 years old.
See also:
•
The Douglas Brothers at Sherborne School
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Source
This article is based on research by Rachel Hassall, Sherborne, Dorset.
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