Middle – South External Wall – Douglas/Green/Russell

Transcription

(This headstone has a surrounding area) Erected by ADAM THOMSON DOUGLAS Moneylaws in memory of ELIZABETH GREEN his wife born 22 June 1815 died 4 March 1857 aged 41 years. Also CHRISTIAN DAVIDA DOUGLAS their eldest daughter born December 30 1843 died August 4 1864. Also ADAM THOMSON DOUGLAS of Moneylaws who died in South America 1870. Dr. THOMAS DOUGLAS died at Cape Town June 1921 aged 76 years. MARTHA SCOTT RUSSELL wife of Dr. THOMAS DOUGLAS died at Cape Town June 1889. And the sons of Dr THOMAS DOUGLAS – THOMAS DOUGLAS died at Cape Town 1914, Lt. VICTOR DOUGLAS MC killed in France 1917.

A friend of the above family has kindly provided extra information on this family.

Military record

Commentary

Adam Thom(p)son Douglas, of Moneylaws, Carham emigrated together with his sons Thomas Douglas and Robert Green Douglas in 1866 aboard the steamer 'Uruguay', Liverpool to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The same year, and together with Royal Navy lieutenant James Stuart Trotter, A.T.D. bought an almost 20,000 acres piece of land near Fraile Muerto (= Dead Friar) village, Córdoba province. A.T. Douglas took over about half of the land and naming it Chañaritos del Loco, began to raise sheep and later grow wheat and maize. However, wool prices fell and the area was troubled by periodic indian invasions  - who took away the cattle -, droughts and locust plagues. In a 1869 census A.T.D. 50 years old, figures living with his son Robert G.(reen) Douglas, 18 years old on the farm; his other sons Thomas Douglas, 24 years old, veterinary surgeon, and Adam (Thompson) Douglas, 16 years old, dependant, figure living in Buenos Aires; the latter one died of yellow fever in 1871; also his daughter Margaret, 18 years old, midwife apprentice (?). In 1869 A.T.D's other daugther Alice Douglas married in Buenos Aires a retired army captain Fowell Buxton Johnstone, farming in Uruguay; they were the parents of Edward Johnstone, later a famous English calligrapher; Margaret Douglas later lived with them. Adam Thompson Douglas senior died in 1870; in the Bell Ville's (new name replacing Fraile Muerto) ) town cemetery for non-catholics (= 'dissidents') there is a stone inscribed “In memoriam Adam Thompson Douglas, estanciero (= rancher), who died at ‘Los Chañaritos del Loco’, 23 of June 1870, aged 51 years. Farmer of Moneylaws, Carham, Northumberland”. The succesors of A.T.D. kept the Chañaritos farm until about 1900.