In contrast to my father’s ancestors—rural folk in Northeast Scotland and for the most part farmers and fishermen—my mother’s people were a mix of English, Scottish and Irish and more likely to be urban dwellers, working in industrial settings like textile mills, shipyards and ironworks. Her line also included quite a number of military men. The Douglas family, in particular, saw generations serving in the 10th (North Lincoln) Regiment of Foot, later known as the Lincolnshire Regiment.
The Douglas family patriarch, my 3G-grandfather William James Douglas, was born in Galway, Ireland, about 1804 and enlisted at Newry, County Down, on May 31, 1822, age 18. A schoolmaster, he stood 5’6” tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. William would ultimately serve 25 years in the 10th Regiment, including 11 years in the Mediterranean and five years in the East Indies.
With Mary Augusta Smith (daughter of Daniel Smith, also in the 10th Regiment), William fathered at least six children, born in various locales depending on where the regiment was stationed: Daniel in Ireland about 1824; Mary Jane in Europe (possibly Portugal) about 1827; my 2G-grandfather William in Zante, Ionian Islands (Greece), in 1829; Richard in Corfu, Greece, in 1831; Elizabeth in Lancashire, England, in 1839; and Charles in Bengal, India, in 1843.
The three oldest sons followed in their father’s footsteps, enlisting as boy soldiers in the 10th Regiment and themselves serving lengthy careers. Daughter Elizabeth married a member of the 10th, and her older sister Mary Jane’s husband was also a soldier. (Their lives are the subject of a separate blog post.)
Sadly, William’s wife, Mary, died in India in May 1844, at age 33, followed less than five months later by baby Charles, only 10 months old.
Two years later, William remarried in India, to Elizabeth White (née Dilworth), widow of John White, a private in the 10th Regiment, assuming responsibility for her young children.
By September 1847, Schoolmaster Sergeant William Douglas was preparing to retire, being recommended for a medical discharge due to “impaired vision & constitution.” Specifically, he was night blind—a condition known as nyctalopia—which the regiment’s surgeon attributed to a contagious eye inflammation:
“This Sergeant was affected with ophthalmia when that disease raged in the corps, shortly after its arrival in India. He had recovered from the acute attack of the disease, but is quite unable to discern objects in the dark.”
William’s discharge papers provide an interesting summary of his character and conduct during his years of service. Although his character was described as “good,” he had been twice convicted at court martial and demoted.
“It appears that his character is good. Tried by a Regimental Court Martial on the 9th of July 1827 for fraudulence. Convicted and sentenced to be reduced. Inflicted. Also by a District Court Martial on the 3rd of August 1839 for being drunk on duty. Convicted and sentenced to be reduced and three weeks solitary confinement. Inflicted.”
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Unfortunately, a peaceful transition into retirement was not to be, as William was once again tried at court martial—this time accused of murder!
Charged with killing a fakeer (an Indian monk or holy man) near a shrine in the city of Lahore, India, on September 29, 1847—the day before he was due to retire—he was found guilty and sentenced “to be transported as a felon for the term of his natural life.”
The General Order published December 20, 1847 setting out the verdict and sentence handed down following William Douglas’ court martial
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The following month, William’s eldest son, Daniel, wrote an urgent letter to his grandfather, Daniel Smith, pleading for his help in filing a petition for clemency, on behalf of himself and his brothers, for submission to Queen Victoria. That letter provides some insight into the circumstances surrounding the murder.
“Lahore 10th January/48
My Dear Grandfather
I am heartley sorry for the dreadfulness I have to send you this day. My poor father was invalided in Sept. last and the first day of March from the city of Lahore he unfortunately took a drop of drink to much and was not able to proceed with the remainder of the Invalids. He lay down in the sun for two or three hours and went asleep and when he awoke he was robbed of what little money he had and his Coates. He seen a native coming towards him and they had some words but my father took a big stick which the native had and struck him on the head which killed him, the most unfortunate job that ever happened. He was fetched back under escort and tried by a general Court Martial for wilful murder but was acquitted of the word wilful and found guilty of the murder and sentenced to transportation for life. He is now on his way down to Calcutta. Now my dear Grandfather this Petition that is in this letter I wish you to get it copied by some good hand or some attorney who will no how to copy it well and then you send it to the Queen under our three names. Their is some words in the petition that may be altered. I was going to send it to the Commander in Chief of India but it would be useless as their is so many Crimes committing now in India. In the name of God My dear Grandfather do what you can towards this petition. I think she will forgive him and so does every person hear think the same. It is a sorry pension after his 25 years service. If you see anything in the petition that you would wish to alter for the better do and get it copied as well you can. My sister and brothers are all well. I must now conclude and forever remain your affectionate granson till death.
D. Douglas, Corporal”
The petition ultimately submitted to the Crown:
“To Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria –
The Memorial and Petition of Corporal Daniel Douglas, Private William Douglas and Boy Richard Douglas of Her Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot
“Humbly Sheweth
That William Douglas late Schoolmaster Serjeant in Her Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot has been tried for having on the 29th September 1847 committed a wilful murder on the body of Ghoolam Hoossien a Native of Lahore and having been found guilty of the charge of murder has been sentenced to be transported for the term of his natural life.
“That your Memorialists beg humbly to bring to your Majesty’s consideration the fact that the person convicted has served for a period of upwards of a quarter of a Century in the Army and has during that period been an unreproachable character. That by the sentence being carried into effect he leaves a wife and four young children totally unprotected and unprovided for, he also leaves three sons in the Regiment in which he has borne arms 25 years, and his sentence being carried into effect will render their future service in the Corps in which they were born unpleasant in the extreme, a stain will ever be attached to their character, or if not to their name, and their lives made miserable by the malicious and unthinking remarks of their comrades.
“That your Memorialists beg also to state to your Majesty that their grandfather Daniel Smith (by their mother’s side) has also served for upwards of 30 years in the Regiment in which your Memorialists now make the third generation who are serving their Queen and Country and that their Grandfather has been discharged from the service as a Serjeant and has received a pension as such for upwards of twenty four years and is now a resident and Freeman of the City of Norwich.
“That Corporal Daniel Douglas and Private William Douglas have borne arms under the personal command of Lord Gough in the Campaign of the Rutledge in 1845–46, and both served in the ranks when Private William Douglas was then a mere boy in one of the hardest contested fields known in India, Subraon on 10th February 1846.
“Under the above circumstances we beg most respectfully and humbly to lay this statement before your Majesty for your Majesty’s gracious consideration.
“And your Memorialists as in duty bound will ever pray.”
Daniel Smith subsequently sent his own entreaty to the Queen:
“To Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria
The humble Petition of Daniel Smith of the City of Norwich a Pensioner
“Sheweth
That your Petitioner humbly begs Your Majesty’s most gracious consideration and free pardon for William Douglas late Schoolmaster Serjeant in Your Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot who is now under sentence of transportation for life for killing and slaying a native of Lahore named Ghoolam Hoossien in a quarrel believing that he had robbed him of his money and coat.
“Your Petitioner also humbly sheweth that he himself served 30 years in the said Tenth Regiment of Foot five years of which he belonged to the late Marquis of Wellesley’s private band when he was Governor of the East. That his unfortunate son in law William Douglas has served 25 years in the same Regiment and that your Petitioner has now three grandsons in the Band of the same Regiment all of whom have served their Queen and Country without a stain upon their character for three generations until this unfortunate affair which has thrown the wife and family of seven children in the greatest grief and shame and none more so than your aged and affected humble Petitioner.
Daniel Smith”
The petition elicited correspondence among several highly placed parties including the Judge Advocate General Sir William Hayter, M.P. Sir Denis Le Marchant, Home Secretary Sir George Grey and Lieutenant General Lord FitzRoy Somerset. It was initially felt that no pardon was warranted, the Judge Advocate General stating on April 19, 1848: “I can find no ground whatever upon the face of the proceedings which will enable me to recommend in this case any mitigation of the punishment.”
By early July, however, their position had changed. In a letter to Somerset on July 7, Hayter, the Judge Advocate General, while detailing trial evidence that would indicate William was likely heavily intoxicated at the time of the murder, nevertheless recommended in favour of a full pardon. Strangely, Hayter’s decision appears to have been strongly influenced by Lord Gough, General and Commander in Chief, East Indies, under whom William served and who had handed down the original sentence.
“Lord Gough having approved and confirmed the sentence without observation, now however represents this case as one to which a pardon may be safely extended on the ground that Serjeant Douglas has served his country for 25 years, and that up to the time of the fatal act which he committed, he had preserved an unblemished reputation, and that his high character in his Regiment had obtained for him the highest rate of pension.”
[Transcription of full letter]
William was, in fact, granted a full pardon on July 22, 1848, no doubt a relief for him and his family, but little justice for his unfortunate victim, Mr. Hoossein.
Just nine months later, on April 28, 1849, William James Douglas died, “a pauper patient in the Genl. Hospital” at Fort William, Bengal, India, and was buried there the same day.
Nancy – A super piece of research which sheds a great deal of light on our shared 3G grandfather. I would have been totally unaware of any of this but for your hard work. All I knew through my mother was that some of her forebears on her fathers side had been in India.There were some verbal family myths about them but you have proved them to be inaccurate, no doubt the result of the passage of time. Sadly my mum is no longer here but I know she’d be fascinated and amazed with the results of your research.
Thanks for sharing this and I look forward to reading more of your family history even if they aren’t directly connected to our shared line.
Neil
Thanks Nancy. A fine read. I know my Dad, Gordon Loraine, had reached this point in his investigations over the years, i.e. William James Douglas. He would have been so gratified with the remarkable progress you have made and the depth of the research and detail you have achieved even beyond WJD.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Thanks, Steve. When your dad and I connected many years ago, he was a great resource on the history and movement of the 10th Regiment, and started me down the path to further research on our mutual ancestor William James Douglas. I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet your dad in person. Wishing you and your family all the best in this new year.