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James Douglas, Watchmaker of Egham High Street and Martha Ann Boyce

 

James Douglas was born on 9th February 1806 in Chertsey, Surrey to James Douglass and Mary Varnden. His father and Grandfather, both called James Douglas were watch and clockmakers at Chertsey, which James also became in due course. James Douglass senior (the grandfather) has a number of clocks in Chertsey Museum. The present James seemed to mostly drop the extra ‘s’ in Douglass.

James married Martha Ann Boyce (left) on 25 Dec 1833 at St Marylebone London. Martha was the youngest daughter of George Boyce, the baker of Middle Hill and Martha née Pierce. She was born on 4 May 1813 at Egham. James’s father died in 1835, and by 1835, James junior had set up in Egham High Street.

James also became the local registrar of births, deaths and marriages by 1845. He held this position until at least 1871. He had expressed the desire that his son Frederick should take on this role in the future, but this did not happen. One of his clocks is on show in Egham Museum, and a barometer made by him is still in family hands in Egham to this day. Another has been offered for sale. On the 31^st of March 1837, James foiled an attempt at robbery of his shop. James called out that he was fetching his gun, and the robber ran off. This was reported in the Windsor and Eton Express. For an account of this incident see this page here

James and Martha had six children, all born in Egham: -

Elizabeth Boyce Douglas born 1835, married John Donaldson, a farm bailiff, on St John’s Waterloo. She died on 18th September 1867. They had 6 children, born at various places around the South of England. John died on 1st December 1868 at Stedham leaving the children to be brought up by the families on both sides. See here.

James Douglas born 25 Dec 1837, married Emily Ann Harris on 16 Apr 1862 at Weybridge. He died on 31 Aug 1920 at Torquay. They had 7 children, see here. He opened the first tobacconist’s shop in Torquay. Emily died on 20th January 1911 at Torquay.

George Boyce Douglas born 20 Oct 1841, married Frances Louisa Dolby on 19 Jan 1867 at St Peter’s Bolton. He died on 25 Jan 1905 at Prestwich Lunatic Asylum. Frances died on 1st January 1908 in Bury District. They had 9 children, see here. He claimed to have studied medicine at the University of Philadelphia Medical School, and became a GP in Lancashire, also acting a doctor to some of the local coal mines. However he was prosecuted for practicing without a licence, view here.

Archibald Douglas born 14 Jan 1844 did not marry and died in January quarter 1924 in Brentford district. He attended the St George’s Chapel School like his brother James. He was apparently a cook or baker for most of his life. He was involved in a court case, where he had been duped, along with other Egham townspeople, by a woman call appropriately Annie Cheetham. She was brought to trial at Southwark Court for obtaining goods by deception, see here.

Frederick Douglas born 26 Sep 1850, married Clara Maria Clarke in March quarter 1881 in Lambeth district. He died on the 15th October 1901 in Egham. leaving 7 children, see here. After learning bakery at his Uncle Albert’s in Middle Hill, he opened his own bakery in Egham High Street. The bakery continued until around 1970, after Ethel died,  then the premises were knocked down and a new building erected. See baker’s here

Martha Pierce Douglas, known as Pattie, born 31 Jul 1858, married a hotel proprietor John Edward Stanley from Leamington in Warwickshire (who had been married twice before) on 25 Nov 1886 at All Saints Warwick. Martha died on 12th July.  1900 in Llandudno. John had died earlier in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, just over a year after being made bankrupt. They had no children. See here.