Francis Brown Douglas

Francis Brown Douglas of Edinburgh, heir of his grandfather Francis Brown (q.v.), and awarded compensation as owner of Bellaire in St Vincent and also successful counterclaimant as owner-in-fee of 1 enslaved person on the Sans Souci estate, St Vincent, although his counterclaim as mortgagee of £8400 plus interest on the same estate was unsuccessful.

1. Born 02/04/1814 in Edinburgh, his father was Archibald Douglas, advocate, and his mother was Jean, daughter of Dr. Francis Brown of St Vincent. Francis Brown Douglas was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 1859-1862. He inherited 21 Moray Place in Edinburgh from his father and died at Melville House, Monimail, Fife, 08/08/1885.

2. The inventory to his grandfather's will, dated 30/03/1835, mentions a bill of £8000 granted to Mr McBarnett of the island of St Vincent "remitted to Mr William Douglas W.S. by Mr Douglas Brown Sir William Forbes & Coy on 5th Jany 1830..."

3. In 1833, the Privy Council heard an appeal from Court of Ordinary of the Island of St Vincent, where Francis Brown Douglas, a minor acting by his father and guardian Mr Archibald Douglas was the appellant, Wm Smith and Robert Brown, trustees and executors of Francis Brown deceased were the respondents. Francis Brown had died at an advanced age, left one signed testamentary paper and an unsigned one, the latter leaving £60,000 away from Francis Brown Douglas, Francis Brown's grandson. In the case Francis Brown Douglas' mother 'Mrs Douglas' was described as the natural daughter of Francis Brown of St Vincent.

T71/892 St Vincent claim no. 481A-C (Sans Souci) and 546 (Bellaire).

1. General Registry Office for Scotland (GROS) OPR Births ; GROS Deaths 1885 448 005. http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/francis_brown_douglas.htm#.UjBsZn8dzIV [accessed 10/09/2013].

2. SC70/1/52 Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories, will of Francis Brown, doctor, residing on Island of St Vincent.

3. Times 17/06/1833. A fuller account of the case is given in Cases Argued and Determined before the Lords of the Privy Council... On Appeal from St Vincent (London, J. & W.T. Clarke, 1831) Appendix pp. 1-12 available at http://books.google.nl/books?id=8mlGAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=nl&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=sans%20souci&f=false [accessed 11/09/2013].

We are grateful to Tim Seddon for his assistance in compiling this entry.