DOUGLAS, Sir CHARLES, naval officer; m. Lydia Schimmelpinck, and
they had two sons and one daughter; m. secondly Sarah Wood, and
they had one son and one daughter; m. thirdly Jane Baillie; d.
16 March 1789 at Edinburgh, Scotland. Little is known of Charles
Douglas’ early life except that he served as a midshipman at the
siege of Louisbourg, Île Royale (Cape Breton Island), in 1745.
After some delay he was promoted lieutenant in 1753. During the
Seven Years’ War he came to the attention of the Admiralty and
was promoted commander in February 1759; that year, in command
of the armed ship Boscawen, he performed useful service for
Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders’ fleet during the Quebec campaign.
Having been promoted post-captain in March 1761, the following
year he commanded the sixth-rate Siren (24 guns) on the
Newfoundland station. When a French force under Charles-Henri-
Louis d’Arsac de Ternay attacked the island that summer, Douglas
helped to contain the invasion with his marines and was the
first to inform Co