secretary
to Archibald Douglas, 8th earl of Angus, wrote a _History of the House
and Race of Douglas and Angus_, printed under his daughter's
superintendence (Edinburgh, 1644). He was a partial historian, and his
account can only be accepted with caution. Modern authorities are Sir
William Fraser, _The Douglas Book_ (4 vols., Edinburgh, 1885), and Sir
H. Maxwell, _History of the House of Douglas_ (2 vols., 1902). See
also G. E. C.[okayne]'s _Peerage_, and Douglas's _Scots Peerage_;
_Calendar of State Papers_, _Scottish Series_, _The Hamilton Papers_,
&c.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A descendant of a younger son of the original William de Douglas.

[2] On the murder of the knight of Liddesdale, his lands, with the
exception of Liddesdale and the Hermitage forfeited to the crown and
then secured by his nephew, fell to his nephew, Sir James Douglas of
Dalkeith and Aberdour (d. 1420), whose great-grandson James Douglas,
3rd Lord Dalkeith (d. 1504), became earl of Morton in 1458 on his
marriage with Lady Joan Stewart, third daughter of James I. His
grandson, the 3rd earl, left daughters only, of whom the eldest,
Margaret, married James Hamilton, earl of Arran, regent of Scotland,
ancestor of the dukes of Hamilton; Elizabeth married in 1543 James
Douglas, who became by this marriage 4th earl of Morton.

[3] Transferred to the British service in 1669 and eventually known
as the Royal Scots regiment.

DOUGLAS, SIR CHARLES, Bart. (d. 1789), British admiral, a descendant of
the Scottish earls of Morton, was promoted lieutenant in the navy on the
4th of December 1753. Nothing is known of his early life. He became
commander on the 24th of February 1759, and attained to post rank in
1761. When the War of American Independence began, he took an active
part in the defence of Canada in 1775, and he afterwards commanded the
"Stirling Castle" 64 in the battle of the Ushant, 27th of July 1778. His
reputation is based first on the part he played in the battle of
Dominica, 12th of April 1782, and then on the improvements in gunnery
which he introduced into the British navy. It appears from the testimony
of Sir F. Thesiger (d. 1805), who was present on the quarter-deck of the
flagship, that Sir Charles Douglas, who was then captain of the fleet,
first pointed out to Rodney the possibility and the advantage of passing
through the French line. His advice was taken with reluctanc