Robert Douglas (c.1630–1716) was a 17th and early 18th
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
minister who rose to be Protestant
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane or Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotla ...
.
Life
He was the son of Robert Douglas of Nether Kilmonth, and grandson of James Douglas of
Glenbervie
Glenbervie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Gleann Biorbhaidh'', Scots: ''Bervie'') is located in the north east of Scotland in the Howe o' the Mearns, one mile from the village of Drumlithie and eight miles south of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. The river ...
, both relatives of the
Earls of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the Duke's eldest son.
Hist ...
. He was educated at
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Abredonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Universi ...
, graduating MA in 1647, before beginning life as a preacher around 1650. He became the minister of
Laurencekirk
Laurencekirk (, sco, Lowrenkirk, gd, Eaglais Labhrainn), colloquially known as "The Lang Toun" or amongst locals as simply "The Kirk", is a small town in the historic county of Kincardineshire, Scotland, just off the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen ...
in the
Mearns in January 1657, then
Bothwell in 1665 and
Renfrew in 1669. After the
Restoration, King
Charles II presented him to the
parsonage of
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
, a position which came with the
deanery of
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
.
In 1682 he became
Bishop of Brechin, holding that bishopric for two years before being translated to the
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane or Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotla ...
in August 1684. Douglas was
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane or Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotla ...
until the abolition of
Episcopacy
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
in Scotland following the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
which then deprived Douglas and all other Scottish bishops of their
sees. He died on 22 April 1716 in
Dundee, at "the uncommon age of 92".
[Keith, ''Historical Catalogue'', p. 183.]
Family
He married twice. Firstly to Miss Irvine of Drum, by whom he had Rev Robert Douglas, minister of Bothwell. He next married Elizabeth Lammy daughter of Rev Sylvester Lammy of
Glamis
Glamis is a small village in Angus, Scotland, located south of Kirriemuir and southwest of Forfar. It is the location of Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
History
The vicinity of Glamis has prehistoric ...
. Their children included:
*Sylvester Douglas of Whiteriggs in
the Mearns
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
*William Douglas (1666–1746), later became Provost of
Forfar
Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the county town of Angus, Scotland and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a pop ...
*George
*James
*Katherine, married Dr George Reid of
Dundee
*Susanna, married Charles White of
Dundee
*A daughter, married Provost Dean of
Forfar
Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the county town of Angus, Scotland and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a pop ...
Notes
References
*
Keith, Robert, ''An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688'', (London, 1924)
1716 deaths
Alumni of the University of Aberdeen
Bishops of Brechin (Church of Scotland)
Bishops of Dunblane
17th-century Scottish Episcopalian bishops
Scottish Episcopalian deans
Year of birth unknown
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1685–1686
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1689
Scottish Restoration bishops
Year of birth uncertain
{{Bishop-stub