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The storyteller tells a story...
John Douglas kidnapped to America
In the early 18th century, a young boy named John
Douglas began an extraordinary journey from Douglas, Lanarkshire,
Scotland, to the New World. Born in 1695 into a prominent family,
John’s father owned vast lands and numerous houses. But young
John, seeking adventure, found himself drawn to a different path.
At the age of twelve, John's life took a dramatic turn. His
uncle, a wealthy merchant in London, had promised to make John his
heir if he came to live with him, as the uncle had no children.
Enchanted by this possibility, John defied his father's wishes and
ran away to London. Upon arriving, however, he failed to locate
his uncle. Wandering the bustling docks of the city, John
unknowingly approached his fate. A crew from a man-of-war ship,
docked and preparing to set sail for Boston, took notice of the
unaccompanied boy. Exploiting his vulnerability, they pressed him
into service, smuggling him aboard the ship and hiding him until
they were far out at sea.
The vessel eventually reached
Boston, where young John was sold or bound to a man to work until
he came of age, in exchange for paying his passage. Little is
known of his life during this time or whether his father ever
learned of his whereabouts.
Years later, John emerged in
Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. By 1719, he had
married Eunice Rattleleaf (or Ratliffe) of the town and began
building a new life. He purchased thirty-seven acres of land from
John Bennett, Jr., for thirty pounds—a farm situated in the 134th
lot of the third allotment, within what was known as the "sixteen
shilling purchase." The official deed was signed on May 27, 1739.
John and Eunice spent the rest of their lives on that farm,
nurturing their land and family. They lived to an advanced age,
passing on in the place they had made their home. Today, their
legacy endures in the stories and histories of Clan Douglas, and
they rest together in the local town graveyard—a testament to a
life of resilience and reinvention in a new land.
See also:
More stories from the Douglas Archives
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