William Douglas
(ca. 1520 - 5/1579)
City of Halifax
West Yorkshire, England
William Douglas was born circa 1520 to Jacobus Douglas and his wife (MNU), in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. Researchers are in possession of only two historical records naming William. The first known reference is the baptismal record of his son, Jacobi, sometimes Jacobus (James) Douglas, which was documented on January 10, 1545, in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. The second reference is William's burial record noted below.
Researchers believe that Alice Douglas, who died in Henley on Thames on December 3, 1558, was very likely William's wife -- or possibly a sister. The source of this hypothesis is the fact that the Douglas family migrated out of Yorkshire into Oxfordshire (specifically, to Henley on Thames), and Alice may very well have been a part of that migration. Additionally, William had a daughter named Alice, which is suggestive of the connection between these two women. The present data is too scarce to draw a firm conclusion, and research into these and other possibilities is ongoing.
Researchers have estimated that William was likely married sometime circa 1539, probably in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. According to the best available records, William and his wife, Alice (MNU), had the following issue:
a) Agnes (b. ca. 1540); married Jones Smith (7/7/1560)
b) Jacobi (James) (b. 1/1545); married Ann Tuilo (4/26/1567)
c) Alice (b. ca. 1546); married John Barrett (10/27/1566)
Aside from the aforementioned information, little else is known of the life of William Douglas. Researchers have discovered William's burial record dated 5/26/1579, which suggests a date of death sometime between 5/20/1579 and 5/25/1579. The burial occurred at St. Mary's Church, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England. This record demonstrates the migration of William's family from Yorkshire to Oxfordshire -- probably during the 1540s.