|
| |
Justyn George Durham Douglas, MD, JP
|
|
|
|
This page is a stub.
You can help improve it.
The Life and Legacy of Dr Justyn George Durham Douglas, M.D., J.P. (1849–1893)
Born in 1849 on the island of Grosse-Île in Quebec’s Chaudière-Appalaches Region, Justyn George Durham Douglas came into a world marked by transatlantic heritage and intellectual pursuit. He was the son of
Dr George Mellis Douglas, a Canadian physician whose own life ended in tragedy in 1864, and Charlotte Saxton Campbell Douglas, who died when Justyn was still a boy. These early losses no doubt shaped the resolve and compassion that would guide his medical vocation.
Educated first at Laval University in Quebec, Douglas later crossed the Atlantic to the University of Edinburgh, where he earned his M.B. and C.M. in 1871, and his M.D. in 1874. His dedication to medicine was matched by his commitment to public health and service. He served as Residential Surgeon at the Bournemouth Dispensary and Cottage Hospital before becoming Honorary Surgeon there, and lent his expertise to the Firsbank Invalid Home—work that earned him widespread respect in the community.
On 22 November 1876, he married Augusta May Ram at All Saints Church, Kensington. Augusta, daughter of Rev. Stopford James Ram, would prove a steadfast partner through years of service and family life. Together they had a remarkable lineage of ten children—many of whom entered public service, education, medicine, and the church.
Dr Douglas died on 25 October 1893 at Tantallon, his home on Madeira Road, Bournemouth, at the age of 44. His funeral was a testament to the esteem in which he was held. The service, held at Holy Trinity Church where he had served as churchwarden, drew a packed congregation. The Dean of Windsor led the cortège to the chancel, and among the mourners were local clergy, friends, extended family, and over one hundred men of the Fourth Hants Rifle Volunteers who assembled in tribute at the cemetery. His polished oak coffin, adorned with brass fittings, bore the simple inscription: “Justyn George Durham Douglas; died October 25th, 1893, aged 44 years.”
At his death, hies estate was worth £21,000.
Following his death, Augusta relocated to Sherborne with her children. There she continued to foster the family's intellectual and civic legacy, living at Tantallon in Acreman Street and later in Bournemouth. She died on 24 April 1930 at The Crossways, Beechey Road, Bournemouth.
The Douglas children formed a remarkable generation, many of whom made their marks across continents in service and scholarship:
- Saxton Edward Douglas (1877–1910) served in Nigeria before turning to rubber planting, ultimately passing away in Kuala Lumpur.
- Rev. Mellis Stuart Douglas (1878–1963) became a prominent missionary and educator in India, later serving as a vicar in several English parishes.
- Kenneth Justyn Douglas (1880–1940) served in Nigeria both in civil and military roles.
- Muriel Stopford Douglas (1881–1957) brought her talents as a soprano to the 1905 Sherborne Pageant and served with the British Red Cross during WWI.
- Stopford Cyril Douglas (1883–1928) served in the Royal Navy through the South African War and WWI, commanding submarines and later becoming Deputy Inspector of Lifeboats.
- Rev. Eric Campbell Douglas (1885–1971) ministered both at home and abroad, serving as Army Chaplain in WWI(1) and holding numerous ecclesiastical roles across England.
- Rev. Andrew Wilmot Douglas
(1886–1961) worked extensively in India as a missionary and parish priest.
-
 Rev. Justyn Langton Douglas (1888–1941) became Vicar-Hospitaller at St Bartholomew's Hospital and served various Dorset parishes(2).
-
Rev. George Hamilton Douglas (1890–1960) served in South Africa and later held vicarships in Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Notes:
1. Eric was Chaplain to Yorkshire Light
Infantry during the First World War. He married (unknown) on 19
September 1933.
2. Yetminster: The living is a vicarage …… joint net yearly value £624 with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury and the Duchy of Cornwall alternately, and held since 1939 by the Rev. Justyn Langton DOUGLAS, M.A. of Magdalene College, Cambridge
See also:
•
The Douglas Brothers at Sherborne School
Contributions
Do you have an ancestor whose
story should be told here? Please let us have the details.
Source
Sources for this article include:
Contributions by Rachel Hassall |
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
|
|
