Archibald Douglass (1696 - 1756)

Born 1696 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 26 Nov 1756 at about age 60 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Archibald Douglass is a member of Clan Douglas.

Archibald Sr. (prob. born Edinburgh, 1696, d. 11/26/1756, Lancaster, PA, ^[1],m. Jean , last name unknown, interred in St. John's Episcopal Church), ^[2]

^{[3] [4]} Sarah Agnew is given as a spouse of Archibald however no sources are given that support this relationship. One issue of this relationship is that Sarah Agnew b 1749 would have been more than 50 years younger than Archibald.

His parents Lord Archibald Douglass and Elizabeth Louise Daly had the following children :

1.) Margaret (b. c. 1685, m. Conrad Bacher Rutter),

2.) Archibald Sr. (prob. born Edinburgh, 1696, d. 11/26/1756, Lancaster, PA, m. Jean ?, interred in St. John's Episcopal Church),

3.) James

4.) Thomas (b. Ireland or Scotland c. 1700, d. 6/28/1796, Lancaster, interred in St. John's),

5.) Andrew (b. Ireland or Scotland in 1702, m. Jane Ross, d. 2/2/1742(1796??), Lancaster, interred in St. John's),

6.) Mary (b. Ireland or Scotland c. 1704, d. c. 1796 in PA, m. John Gibson),

7.) Ann (b. Ireland or Scotland, c. 1706, m. John Caldwell),

8.) Jane (b. Ireland or Scotland c. 1708, m. James Wilson, Jr. [b. c. 1705]

Douglass of Pennsylvania

A noted family buried in the Saint John's Church at Pequea churchyard is that which bears the name of Douglass . Tradition claims them direct descendants of the famous robber baron clan that terrorized all Scotland generations ago. The progenitors of this family are Andrew, James and Archibald. These three brothers were engaged in the rebellion of 1715 in favor of the Pretender, and for that cause were obliged to leave their native land. They came from near Edinburgh, and landed in America sometime during 1725-1728. They settled near the fertile valley of the Pequea; and were associated with St. John's Parish from its inception. The history of this sturdy family of pioneers is so closely interwoven with that of the parish, that one cannot write of the former without including the latter. ^[5]

The names of Andrew, James and Archibald appear on the first list of subscribers in 1729. When funds were solicited for a stone church in 1753, Archibald's contribution was the largest received. In 1740 Andrew Douglass served as Commissioner of Lancaster county. He died Jan. 20, 1742, and was buried in the churchyard. His son George married Mary Piersol and settled in Berks county, where he was a justice of the peace before the Revolution. From 1772-1784 he was one of the judges of the County Court.

James Douglass took up one hundred acres of land in Lancaster county in 1738. He died on Nov. 8, 1757. He left one son, Edward, who with his uncle Archibald took up 500 acres of land in Lancaster county in 1743. James Douglass had one son, Edward. Edward's son, Archibald, married Rebecca Richardson. The father of Rebecca Richardson Douglass was William Richardson, who came to the Pequea valley before 1720, and settled along the "Old Peters Road" near what is now White Horse. The old King's Highway was the southern boundary of his land. He was one of the founders of St. John's Parish.

Archibald Douglass died Nov. 26, 1756, and was buried in the churchyard. He was the father of eight children. His son, John, was a Judge in the Lancaster County Court; and a member of the Assembly in the years 1756, 1761, 1762, 1763. Another son, Thomas, born in 1722 and died May 27, 1794. He, too, was buried in the churchyard. In his will probated on June 23, 1794, he stipulated among other things that: "fifty pounds be given to the use of Saint John's Church at Pequea, for building or repairing the same, to be applied as the Vestry and Congregation may think proper. ^[6]

"Item. I give fifty pounds to be let on land securely and interest thereof to be paid annually forever to the Church and Minister of St. John's Church at Pequea, and his successors in that place.

"Item. I give ten pounds to purchase a hearse for the use of the Congregation of St. John's Church.

"Item. I give sixty-five pounds to be distributed amongst the needful (not meaning the poor who are a public charge of the township of Salisburg) to be divided as my executors and a majority of the township may think proper.

"Item. I require that my executors forever shall pay to the use of St. John's Church aforesaid every first day of May the sum of two pounds lawful, to be paid to those who may be legally authorized to receive the sum of two pounds.

"This is also my order ---- desire that the Church and Clergy and the poor always have preference in their payments, and that these my orders may fully and truly to every true meaning be fulfilled as soon as the money can be collected, having reference to his as my last will and testament."

The oldest tomb in the churchyard bears the date 1731 and was erected to the memory of George Boyd. His son, George Boyd, Jr., died June 12, 1763, aged 48 years. George, Jr., married Mary, daughter of Archibald Douglass. They had eight children the eldest of whom John, was a Colonel of the 7th Battalion of Lancaster county Militia in the Revolution; and he also participated in the Jersey Campaign. A daughter Margaret became the second wife of Captain James Hamilton, who for fifty years kept the Bulls Head Tavern on the old road in Salisbury township, now the private residence of Arthur Burt.

Family of Archibald Douglass

Children of Archibald and Jean Douglass:

A. Archibald Douglass Jr. According to "Biographical Annals of Lancaster County" he had 200 acres in 1759.

B. Thomas Douglass was born 1722 in Scotland and died 27 May 1794. He married Joyce Hudson on 4 Aug 1763.

C. George Douglass ^[7]

D. Mary Douglass married George Boyd Jr on 13 June 1731 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was born 1715 in Antrim, Ulster, Ireland and died 12 June 1763 in Pequea Township, Pennsylvania. His brother Patrick married Mary's sister Ann.

E. Jane Douglass married Gabriel Davis

F. Margaret Douglass was born 1730 in Pennsylvania. She married 1st to John Wilson and 2nd to Patrick Carrigan in October 1747. He was born before 1734 and died 15 October 1756 in Pennsylvania. He was on the first Vestry at St John's church. Margaret died in 1786.

G. Ann Douglass was born about 1732 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and died 1787. She married Patrick Harrison Boyd about 1751. He was born 1711 in Ulster, Northern Ireland and died 1762 in Halifax, Virginia. He was first married to Rachel Grimson on 25 July 1732 in St Paul's Episcopal Church in Chester County, Pennsylvania. After Patrick died, Ann married John Wells in 1763.

H. John Douglass was born before 1734 in Pennsylvania and died 1788 in Jefferson County, Virginia. His wife is thought to be Mary Richardson. Her father was Isaac Richardson. This seems plausible given John's grandson was named Isaac Richardson Douglass. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ "Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:8GFQ-F7W2 : 1 October 2020), Archibald Douglass
2. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKP-CK7K : 31 May 2020), Archibald Douglass, 1756; Burial, Find A Grave: Memorial #49921514, Saint Johns Episcopal Church Cemetery, Compass, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Miabeth (contributor 47091766) .
3. ↑ Descendants of Lord Archibald Douglass 1665
4. ↑ THE DOUGLASS FAMILY, Chapter 7, page 8
5. ↑ History of St. John's Parish, by W. R. Yeakel
6. ↑ Penna. Archives Series, 2 Vol., 9 pages, 795-196
7. ↑ A Collection of Family Records: With Biographical Sketches, and Other Memoranda of Various Families and Individuals Bearing the Name Douglas, Or Allied to Families of that Name, Charles Henry James Douglas, E.L. Freeman & Company, 1879
8. ↑ THE DOUGLASS FAMILY, Chapter 7

• Descendants of Lord Archibald Douglass 1665

• Old Saint John's Church Yard, Pequea, Lancaster County, PA

• Notes and Queries: Historical, Biographical and Genealogical, Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania, William Henry Egle, Harrisburg publishing Company, 1899, page 79

• THE DOUGLASS FAMILY, Chapter 7

Research Sources

• "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTPK-NVD : 11 February 2020), Archbald Douglas, .
• "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTPJ-QYY : 11 February 2020), Archbald Douglas,

Contributors

• 00:07, 4 December 2015 (EST) Adopted profile, verifying relationships, adding sources and bio

• Thank you to Graham Oliver for creating WikiTree profile Douglass-549 through the import of WikiTree.ged on Aug 16, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Graham and others.