Born at Gartcraig, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the 25th of April 1811, the son of Alexander Douglas, Esq., of Glen Finart, and his wife, Christina, the daughter of Henry Riddell, Esq., of Granton Barn, Edinburgh.
Ensign in the 61st Foot: 18th of June 1829.
Ensign in the 79th Foot: 26th of June 1829.
Lieutenant and Adjutant: 23rd of October 1833.
Captain: 11th of May 1839.
Captain in the 11th Hussars: 15th of November 1839.
He was concerned with John Thomas Brudenell (later Lord Cardigan) and Captain Tuckett in a duel they fought on Wimbledon Common in September of 1840, when he acted as the former's second.
Both he and Brudenell were charged in a magistrate's court at the time, Brudenell also being tried by his peers in February of 1841 (see his Record).
Douglas was also tried by a regimental court-martial in March of that same year, but was acquitted, the trial being a pure formality. Captain Tuckett had already retired from the Service.
On the 10th of March 1842, at St. George's, Hanover Square, London, he married Rosa Maria, daughter of the Right Hon. Arthur Paget.
Marriage registered
John Douglas married Rosa Maria Paget, March Quarter 1842, St George's Hanover Square.
After Douglas had refused to divorce her, his wife left for Canada with Alexander Roberts Dunn, VC. (See his Record.)
On the 16th of March 1872, after the deaths of both Douglas and Dunn, she married a William John Waters, and cannot be traced further.
1851 Census
Pockthorpe Cavalry Barracks, Norwich.
John Douglas, officer, married, 39, Captain, born Gartcraig, Lanark.
Brevet-Major, 11th Hussars: 11th of November 1851.
Major: 24th of December 1852.
Lieutenant-Colonel, assuming the command of the Regiment: 20th of June 1854.
Colonel in the Army: 20th of June 1857.
On to half-pay in a Depot Battalion and acted as Assistant Inspector-General of Cavalry from the 8th of March 1859 to the 31st of July 1863.
Major-General: 6th of March 1868.
Commanded the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot from the 19th of January 1871 until his death later that year.
He was also a J.P. and Deputy-Lieutenant for Argyll.
Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas served the Eastern campaign of 1854-55 in command of the 11th Hussars, including the affair of the Bulganak, the battles of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol. (Medal and Clasps, C.B. Knight of the Legion of Honour and the Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class).
Proceeded home to England on the 14th of November 1855, "on account of ill-health" and was afterwards detailed to remain in England by order of the Horse Guards in order to give evidence at the Court of Enquiry into the conduct of the Crimean War, held at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Order of the Medijie, 4th Class, and appointed a C.B. on the 1st of July 1856.
He was found dead in his bed in his Aldershot quarters on the 10th of May 1871, aged 60 years.
Death registered
John Douglas, aged 61, June Quarter 1871, Farnham.
Extract from the Naval and Military Gazette for the 13th of May 1871:
"We have to announce the death of Major General John Douglas, C.B. which took place at Aldershot on Wednesday.
The deceased General had assumed the command of the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot on the 1st of January last, and on Tuesday he was present at the evolutions of the troops under his command on a field day in the Long Valley, Aldershot, and as late as three or four o'clock on the same day he had transacted business in connection with his command with Lieutenant-General Sir J. Hope Grant and other officers, at his headquarters.
He went to bed in perfectly good health, but upon his servant entering his rooms at about eight o'clock in the morning he could obtain no reply.
Doctor Clifford of the 9th Lancers was speedily in attendance, and it is understood that 'heart disease' was the cause of death."
His tomb is a red sandstone vault at the rear of Kilmun Church on the shores of Holy Loch. The traditional burying place of the house of Argyll was within the church, and the churchyard is still used as such.
A brass memorial tablet was also erected to him in the Garrison Church of St. George (All Saints) at Aldershot, Hampshire:
"In memory of Major-General John Douglas of Glenfinart, Argyllshire. Companion of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the Medjidie and formerly of the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars, which regiment he commanded in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. He was born April 25th 1811 and died May 10th 1871, when in command of the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot."
Census information for 1851, and details of registrations of death and marriage kindly provided by Chris Poole.