Thomas Dunlop Douglas

Identified as the last member of the Douglas West India merchant dynasty in Glasgow (as Thomas Dunlop Douglas of Dunlop), brother of John Douglas (q.v.), Archibald Douglas (q.v.) and Cecilia Douglas (q.v.).

01/01/1776-30/01/1869 left £241,518. West India merchant in Glasgow, landed proprietor (1861 census); address given as Dunlop near Stewarton Ayshire (probate calendar). Father shown as John Douglas, mother as Katherine (surname unknown) or Cecilia née Buchanan. Married Rosina (surname unknown). 'It is unclear whether his career was wholly in Glasgow or whether he had lived in the West Indies'.

Born 1775.  Originally apprenticed to a hat-maker and then in turn a hat-maker in business himself. Became insurance broker and merchant, then a partner in J., T., and A. Douglas (q.v.). Married Rose Hunter of Greenock, no surviving children. In 1845 bought the estate of Dunlop, Garnkirk House in Ayrshire. Left the bulk of his fortune to Thomas Douglas Cunningham Graham (possibly a nephew). The value of estate outside Scotland was over £200,000.

John Guthrie Smith and John Oswald Mitchell, The old country houses of the old Glasgow gentry (2nd edn., Glasgow, James MacLehose & Sons, 1878, LXXIX Orbiston. Life dates taken from The Douglas Archives online.

William D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? 1860- (Volumes 3 and 4, manuscripts in preparation), reference 1869/86.

Charlotte S. M. Girard, Some further notes on the Douglas family, BC Studies, 72 (Winter, 1896-87), pp. 3-27, pp. 16-18.