Duglass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Duglass family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. They lived in Moray, where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to early times. Some claim the name is derived from a knight of 770 who after aiding King Solvathius of Scotland in his great battle with Donald Bain, King of the Western Isles was granted the lands of Clydesdale. Others claim the name was originally derived from Theobaldus, a Flemming and were granted the lands of Douglas Water. In Gaelic, the name is Dudhglas means "black stream."

Early Origins of the Duglass family

The surname Duglass was first found in Moray, where the progenitor of the Clan is thought to be Archibald of Douglasdale (1198-1239). The Douglasses of Drumlanrig claim descent from Sir William Douglas, who was granted the lands of Drumlanrig in 1412 by King James I.

The grandson of Archibald Douglasdale, known as William the Hardy, served as a companion-in-arms to William Wallace, the patriot leader of the Scottish wars of Independence. His two sons carried on his noble reputation. The first, William, was the progenitor of the Douglases of Morton and was granted the Earldom of Morton in 1458 by King James II. The second, Andrew, and his family became known as the Black Douglases. 1

Early History of the Duglass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duglass research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1174, 1220, 1243, 1274, 1298, 1328, 1360, 1380, 1400, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1408, 1540, 1594, 1595, 1611, 1662, 1674 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Duglass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duglass Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Duglass include Douglas, Douglass, Dougliss, Dougless, Dowglas, Duglas, Duglass and many more.

Early Notables of the Duglass family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Archibald Douglas, (1328-1400), 3rd Earl of Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Douglas, Lord of Bothwell and Lord of Galloway, a late medieval Scottish magnate; George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus (1380-1403), mediaeval Scottish nobleman; Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar (c. 1360-1408), inherited most of brothers property, excluding only the Douglas lands which could only pass through the male line, she became the most sought after bride in the realm and soon was married to Sir Malcolm Drummond, marriage however failed to produce any children and the Countess soon became the focus of...
Another 354 words (25 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duglass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duglass family to Ireland

Some of the Duglass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duglass migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Duglass:

Duglass Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Duglass, who landed in Virginia in 1650 2
Jam Duglass, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 2
Tho Duglass, who landed in Virginia in 1650 2
Robert Duglass, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 2
Mary Duglass, who landed in Maryland in 1661 2

Duglass Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Duglass, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 2

Duglass migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duglass Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Crawford Duglass, aged 34, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
Henrietta Duglass, aged 31, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
Ann Duglass, aged 8, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
William John Duglass, aged 6, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
Isabella Duglass, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Duglass Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Jamais arriere
Motto Translation: Never behind.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)