Major General Robert
Douglas
Robert Douglas (1727–1809) was a Scottish-born soldier who replaced
Ludwig Ernst von Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern as governor of the
garrison city of 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in 1784. A
commander of the Marines, he was a
major-general from 1778 and commander of the city from 1780 to 1794.
Robert Douglas was the 5th son of George, 7th Laird of Friarshaw,
and Elizabeth Scott of Ancrum. Robert's grandfather was
Henry Douglas, 6th laird of
Friarshaw
Born Edinburgh 24 April, baptised Canongate
Church 25 April 1727, died Zierikzee, (Zeeland), 30 December 1809.
Buried 4 January 1810, south side of the choir in the Dutch Reformed
church of Zierikzee.
Military Career :
1745, November,
Captain regiment of the Duke of Ancaster. Marched from Stamford to
Doncaster in order to go to Culloden, but was ordered to return.
1746, April, Battle of Culloden, where he arrived too late at the
battle field, so that he did not have to fight against his
countrymen, about which he was very pleased as he wrote later in his
autobiography.
1746 Ensign regiment Duke of Ancaster on half
payment. Present at the judgements of the Lords Cromarty,
Kilmarnock, Balmerino and Lovat.
1747 Captain regiment of his
kinsman the Earl of Drumlanrig, leaving Prestonpans for Gilse near
Breda (North-Brabant)
N.B. The Scots Magazine of July 1747
contains a complete list of the officers of Lord Drumlanrig's
regiment, then "raising in Scotland".
1748, 10 April, in Breda
with the regiment. (see chapter 8-14a) .
1750, March, in
Maastricht (Limburg), Sas van Gent (Zeeland)
1751, portrait painted by James Seymour
 |
General Robert Douglas riding out
in a wooded landscape
By James Semour, 1751. |
1752, March, captain
2nd Battalion under Lord Drumlanrig in Lieutenant-General Halkett's
regiment.
1754, at garrison in Brielle (South-Holland).
1762
Captain-commander regiment Gordon, company Baron de Salve.
1763
Lieutenant-Colonel regiment Marines of Baron de Salve.
1766
Colonel
1778 Commander and Great-Major of the city of
's-Hertogenbosch
(North-Brabant) .
1779 General-Major regiment
Marines, which carried his name.
1780 Commander and
Under-Governor of 's-Hertogenbosch.
Resolution by the
States-General of the Republic of 28 January,
no. 3835 page 55.
1794 Lieutenant-General regiment Marines (Infantry).
1795 Retired
on half-prnsion after the invasion by the French and the fa:~
of
the city.
There is a large quantity of correspondence between
him and the Stadholder Prince Willam V of Orange in the "Koninklijk
Huisarchief" (Archive of the Royal Family) in The Haque.
He wrote his biography of which there is a copy in the
National Library. ~~~I have been unable to verify this###
1781 meeting with Emperor Joseph II of Austria who travelled
incognito as Count Von Falkenstein and visited 's-Hertogenbosch.
1786 hired the Brouwmeer under St Michielsgestel of Hermanus
Martinus van Ermel, Major of Cavalry.
Married Bergen op Zoom,
(North-Brabant), 24 June 1754, Helena, daughyer of
Lieutenant-General Daniel de Brauw and Hester Stavenisse, born
Bergen op Zoom, 1 January 1734, died Zierikzee, 5 January 1802.
Buried southside the choir of the Dutch Reformed church. (which not
longer exists) .
[He was an Ensign in the Regiment
Marjorybanks of the Scots Brigade in 1745. It is suggested
that this is when his 'riding out' portrait was started, and
finished in Holland in 1751]
He married
Helena de Brauw in 1754.
They
had issue:
-
Mary Douglas, b. 10 Dec 1755,
Bergen op Zoom = Caspar, Baron van Breugel.
-
Elisabeth Douglas, b. 29 Jun 1758, Bergen-op-Zoom =
Pieter Jan van Ee.
They had issue
-
Archibald Douglas, b. 6 Sep 1759,
Bergen op Zoom = Anna Juliana Maria Salontay van Salontha.
They had issue
- Hester Douglas, 1757-1808
, = Johann Christian Gotlieb Schmid
Magdalena Jacoba Douglas, 1766-1820, = Louis Anthony van Oyen.
Robert died at Zierikzee, Zeeland on 30th September 1809.
The arms of Robert, son of George Douglas of Rriarshaw and Elizabeth Scott are:
Argent, a heart Gules ensigned by a royal crown Or lined Gules, on a chief azure three molets argent, with a bordure nebuly Azure Celeste.
Wreath and mantling; Argens and Gules
Crest: A dexter forearm and hand proper holding a lance sinister bendwise Or the upper half broken dexter bendwise proper the point argent.
Motto: Do or Die
Research:
Not to be confused with:
|
General Robert Douglas,
Count of Skenninge |
1611-1661 |
|
Major-General Robert
Douglas (of Garlston, NB) |
Born c1744, died 7th June 1798 |
|
Lt General Robert Douglas |
abt 1745 - 1827 |
|
Major General Robert
Douglas |
Death: Aug. 20. 1828 At Great Baddow, Essex, |
|
General Robert Douglas,
C.B. |
died at Claygate, Surrey on February 10, 1871 |
|
Major General Sir Robert
Percy Douglas |
died on 30 September 1891 aged 87 |
|
Major General Robert
Wilkins Douglass Jr. |
born in 1900 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
