John Erskine Douglas

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John Erskine Douglas
Battle of Basque Roads

Battle of Basque Roads in 1809. He also served in the Mediterranean and off Norfolk, Virginia, where he gained notoriety by searching American vessels for British deserters without asking permission from the American authorities. He later served as commander in chief at Jamaica and rose through the ranks to full admiral. He amassed a fortune, and when he died Douglas left over 40,000l.
to his daughters.

Life

The son of David Douglas, a descendant of James Douglas, 2nd earl of Queensberry, Douglas was born in the later 1750s, and joined the British

Peace of Amiens.[1]

On his return to Britain, Douglas was given the 80-gun

jury masts. Closely pursued, Impétueux was driven on shore by her captain and the crew scrambled onto the beach as British boats boarded and captured the wreck. Although British intervention on American shore was a clear violation of American neutrality in the war, there was no protest from the American authorities – the only complaint coming from the French consul at Norfolk. Damaged beyond repair, the wreck of Impétueux was burnt on the beach.[2]

Douglas remained off the Chesapeake during 1807 in command of a squadron of smaller vessels observing two French ships of the line at anchor in

second rate HMS Prince of Wales in the Mediterranean, where he remained for the rest of the war.[1]

In 1814, Douglas was promoted to rear-admiral and from 1816 served as commander in chief of the Jamaica Station, remaining in the post until 1817.[3] Retiring from active service, Douglas continued to rise through the ranks, becoming a vice-admiral in 1825 and a full admiral in 1838. He died aged 89 at Swallows near Watford in Hertfordshire on 25 July 1847, leaving the considerable fortune of 40,000l. (£4,549,200 as of 2024)[4] to his daughters, with a proviso that his sister receive 150l. a year.[1]

See also

  • O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). "Douglas, John Erskine" . A Naval Biographical Dictionary . John Murray – via Wikisource.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c The Gentleman's Magazine, July 1847, p. 430
  2. ^ James, Vol. 4, p. 210
  3. ^ Cundall, p. xx
  4. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.

References

  • Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.
  • "Obituary". The Gentleman's Magazine. XXVIII: 430. July 1847.
  • James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain. Conway Maritime Press.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
1816–1817 		Succeeded by
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