Galton Papers: Archibald Douglas Privateer or Pirate

I’d noticed a post by William Douglas on the Ancestry.co.uk about the Douglas/Hake family in Honiton, Devon. As mentioned in earlier posts Charlotte Douglas married Francis Fox M.D. of Derby. They are my great great great great grandparents. As mentioned in William’s post on Ancestry.co.uk, Charlotte’s father was Archibald Douglas who married a Miss Hake in Honiton on 16 Apr 1765. From what I’ve seen on Ancestry, Miss Hake was probably called Mary. Anyway, William’s post mentioned the following about Archibald and Mary:

More on Fox and Douglas Families

I just found this little snippet on Dr Francis Fox from The history of the county of Derby, Volume 2 by Stephen Glover:

Francis Fox esq during a long and extensive practice in the medical profession obtained a celebrity rarely equalled. He married Miss Douglas sister to the late Mrs Joseph Strutt and has issue by her Francis, Douglas, Archibald, and Charles, and three daughters viz Harriet the wife of Ambrose Moore silk throwster Julia, and Charlotte, Francis Fox jun is a physician philosopher and chemist and by superior talent is rising into considerable eminence. On the retirement of Dr Forester as Physician to the Derbyshire Infirmary he was appointed to that situation. Douglas is an eminent surgeon philosopher chemist and lecturer.This gentleman from his professional skill scientific acquirements and philanthropy has obtained the esteem of all who know him. His gratuitous lectures before the Mechanics Institution have imparted to the rising generation and to the adult much useful knowledge. He has filled the situation of Surgeon to the County Prison some years with universal satisfaction to the magistrates of the County and to the prisoners under his care. He is also one of the Surgeons to the Derbyshire Infirmary and an alderman of the borough. Archibald the third son is also a surgeon and Charles the youngest son is an engineer. The eminent mechanics and engineers of this name have long been an honour to the town of Derby.

Firstly, I now know that his wife was Charlotte Douglas and that her sister married a Joseph Strutt. I now know that only Charles became an engineer, whereas as his 3 brothers all followed their father by being at one time or another doctors/surgeons. I also know that his sister Harriet, was the wife of Ambrose Moore silk throwster. My cousin Hamish seems to have beaten me to this, and he shows Harriet Fox (b: 1806) marrying Ambrose (b: 6 Nov 1788; c: 15 Dec 1788) on 17 Jan1851 in Oxfordshire, Over Worton (see here).

Ramsays, Hamiltons and a Douglas

Ever since I found that I was listed on the Douglas Archives, I’ve been wondering how I might be connected to their family. I think I may have found out via the Ahnentafel sent by Rafael Alberto Madan (my 8th cousin twice removed, see more here). So I started with my (7th Generation) ancestor Alexander Gibson-Maitland, who married Susan Ramsay on 25 Mar 1819. She was the eldest daughter of George Ramsay, of Barnton, and Jean Hamilton, his wife. I then found George and Jean on Stirnet.com, and found a connection with the Douglas family as follows: