Philip Douglas

The Reverend
Philip Douglas
D.D.
The Reverend Philip Douglas D.D.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
	In office; 1810–1811
Preceded by	Isaac Milner
Succeeded by	Thomas Browne
	In office; 1795–1796
Preceded by	Lowther Yates
Succeeded by	Richard Belward
Personal details
Born	27 October 1758
Died	2 January 1822 (aged 63)
Spouse	Mary Mainwaring; (1797⁠–⁠1809)
Parent(s)	Archibald Douglas; Elizabeth Burchard
Education	Harrow School
Alma mater	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Philip Douglas, D.D. (27 October 1758 – 2 January 1822)^[1] was a British priest and academic in the second half of the eighteenth century and the first decades of the 19th.^[2]

Early life

Douglas was born at Witham, Essex, the son of Archibald Douglas of Kirkton and his wife Elizabeth Burchard.^[3] Among his siblings were Capt. Archibald Martin John Douglas of the 13th Dragoons (who married Mary Elizabeth Crosbie), Judge William Douglas (who married Jane Bell), and Jane Douglas (who married William Van Mildert, the Bishop of Durham who was the last to rule the County Palatine of Durham).^[4]

After attending Harrow School, he was a student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1781; MA in 1784; and B.D. in 1793.^[3]

Career

He was appointed Fellow in 1782; Tutor in 1787 and Master in 1795. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1795 to 1796; and again from 1810 to 1811. He was ordained in 1783 and served his title at Whittlesford. He was vicar of Gedney from 1796 until his death.^[5]

Personal life

On 15 Jun 1797 at St Bene't's Church, Cambridge, he married Mary Mainwaring (d. 1809), daughter of Anthony Mainwaring. She was brought up by her uncle, Dr. John Mainwaring, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity, both sons of Gilbert Mainwaring of Sherrall Hall in the manor of Drayton, near Tamworth, Staffordshire.^[4] Together, they were the parents of a son and a daughter:^[3]

Rev. Philip William Douglas (1800–1872), the Vicar of Bonby and Horkstow, curate of Escot; he married Charlotte Barbour, fourth daughter of John Barbour of Adderbury Manor, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 1830.^[4]
Mary Douglas (d. 1846), who died unmarried.^[4]

His wife died on 3 November 1809 and was buried at St Bene't's Church.^[4] Douglas died 2 January 1822, aged 64, and was buried in the Corpus Christi College chapel.^[3]

Descendants

Through his son Philip, he was a grandfather of the Rev. Philip Henry Douglas, who married his cousin, Lucy Elizabeth Jane (née Wescomb), Lady Byron, widow of George Byron, 8th Baron Byron;^[4]^[a] John Ambrose Douglas, who married Mary Anne McLachlan and was the father of archaeologist Elizabeth Douglas (who married professor Albert William Van Buren);^[6] Sir Robert Kennaway Douglas, who married Rachel Charlotte Kirkby (née Fenton).^[4]^[b]

References

Notes

^ Lucy Elizabeth Jane Wescomb was the daughter of Jane (née Douglas) Wescomb and the Rev. William Wescomb of Thrumpton Hall.^[4]
^ They were the parents of Archibald Philip Douglas (1867–1953), ^[7] Robert Noel Douglas (1868–1957),^[8] James Douglas (1870–1958),^[9]^[10] Sholto Douglas (1873–1916),^[11] and Stuart Monro Douglas (b. 1879).^[12]

Sources

^ "Philip Douglas (1758–1822), Master (1795–1822)". artuk.org. Art UK. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
^ "Douglas, Philip (DGLS776P)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Skedd, S. J. "DOUGLAS, PHILIP (1758–1822)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7914. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Adams, Percy Walter Lewis (1921). A History of the Douglas Family of Morton in Nithsdale (Dumfriesshire) and Fingland (Kirkcudbrightshire) & Their Descendants. Sidney Press. p. 440. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
^ Douglas Archives
^ "Editorial". Iraq. 23 (2): i–ii. 1961. ISSN 0021-0889. JSTOR 4199701.
^ Archibald Philip Douglas
^ "Douglas, Robert Noel (DGLS889RN)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ "Douglas, James (DGLS893J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ James Douglas at ESPNcricinfo
^ Sholto Douglas at ESPNcricinfo
^ "Douglas, Stuart Monro (DGLS898SM)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[6] Lucy Elizabeth Jane Wescomb was the daughter of Jane (née Douglas) Wescomb and the Rev. William Wescomb of Thrumpton Hall.^[4]

[14] They were the parents of Archibald Philip Douglas (1867–1953), ^[7] Robert Noel Douglas (1868–1957),^[8] James Douglas (1870–1958),^[9]^[10] Sholto Douglas (1873–1916),^[11] and Stuart Monro Douglas (b. 1879).^[12]

[artuk-1] "Philip Douglas (1758–1822), Master (1795–1822)". artuk.org. Art UK. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[2] "Douglas, Philip (DGLS776P)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[ODNB-3] Skedd, S. J. "DOUGLAS, PHILIP (1758–1822)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7914. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)

[Adams1921-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Adams, Percy Walter Lewis (1921). A History of the Douglas Family of Morton in Nithsdale (Dumfriesshire) and Fingland (Kirkcudbrightshire) & Their Descendants. Sidney Press. p. 440. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[5] Douglas Archives

[7] "Editorial". Iraq. 23 (2): i–ii. 1961. ISSN 0021-0889. JSTOR 4199701.

[8] Archibald Philip Douglas

[9] "Douglas, Robert Noel (DGLS889RN)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[10] "Douglas, James (DGLS893J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[11] James Douglas at ESPNcricinfo

[12] Sholto Douglas at ESPNcricinfo

[13] "Douglas, Stuart Monro (DGLS898SM)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

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Vice-chancellors of the University of Cambridge
15th century	Thomas Ashwell Henry Stockton Nicholas de Swaffham Nicholas Gay William Millington John Roclyffe Thomas Stoyle William Uttyng William Smyth Edmund Conisborough Thomas Stoyle William Towne Thomas Tuppin John Riplingham John Camberton William Rawson William Stockdale John Dolman Henry Rudd John Smith John Smith Henry Babington
16th century	John Fisher Humphrey Fitzwilliam Geoffrey Knight John Smith Richard Burton John Eccleston William Robson William Buckenham Thomas Thompson John Fawne John Eccleston Robert Dowsing Edmund Natares John Watson Edmund Natares Thomas Stackhouse John Edmunds Thomas Green Henry Bullock Edmund Natares John Edmunds William Buckmaster John Watson Simon Haynes John Crayford Francis Mallet George Day William Buckmaster John Edmunds Francis Mallet Richard Standish John Edmunds Richard Standish John Edmunds Sir Thomas Smith John Madew Matthew Parker John Madew William Bill Matthew Parker Walter Haddon John Madew Andrew Perne Edward Hawford Edwin Sandys John Young William Glyn Cuthbert Scott Andrew Perne John Pory Robert Brassey Edmund Cosyn Andrew Perne Henry Harvey Philip Baker Francis Newton Edward Hawford Robert Beaumont John Stokes Robert Beaumont Roger Kelke Richard Longworth John Young John May John Whitgift Roger Kelke Thomas Byng John Whitgift Andrew Perne John Still Roger Goad Richard Howland Thomas Byng John Hatcher Andrew Perne William Fulke John Bell Richard Howland Robert Norgate Humphrey Tindall John Copcot Thomas Legge Thomas Nevile Thomas Preston Robert Some Thomas Legge John Still John Duport Roger Goad John Jegon Robert Some John Jegon
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18th century	Thomas Richardson Charles Ashton George Bramston Sir John Ellys Bardsey Fisher John Balderston Edward Lany John Covel Charles Roderick Nathaniel Lloyd Gabriel Quadring John Adams Thomas Green Thomas Sherlock Daniel Waterland William Grigg Sir Thomas Gooch Thomas Crosse Andrew Snape William Savage John Davies Joseph Craven Robert Lambert John Frankland Robert Lambert Matthias Mawson Charles Morgan Roger Long William Towers John Adams John Wilcox William Richardson John Whalley Edward Hubbard Sir Edward Simpson William Sedgwick Robert Smith William George Kenrick Prescot George Rooke Edmund Castle Francis Parris Thomas Chapman Edmund Keene John Wilcox Philip Yonge Hugh Thomas Edmund Law John Sumner John Green Lynford Caryl Sir James Burrough George Sandby Robert Plumptre Peter Godard William Elliston John Barnardiston William Samuel Powell John Smith Sir James Marriott John Hinchliffe William Richardson John Sumner James Brown William Cooke Lynford Caryl Hon. Barton Wallop Richard Farmer John Chevallier Hugh Thomas Robert Plumptre William Colman Lowther Yates John Barker Richard Beadon John Torkington Peter Peckard Joseph Turner Sir James Marriott William Elliston Richard Farmer Francis Barnes William Pearce William Craven Thomas Postlethwaite Isaac Milner William Colman Lowther Yates Richard Fisher Belward Robert Cory Humphrey Sumner William Lort Mansel William Gretton
19th century	Joseph Proctor Humphrey Sumner Martin Davy John Torkington Joseph Turner William Pearce Francis Barnes Edward Pearson Isaac Milner Thomas Browne John Davie Robert Cory William Chafy George Thackeray John Kaye James Wood William Webb George Neville William Frere Christopher Wordsworth William French Henry Godfrey John Lamb Thomas Le Blanc Joseph Proctor Christopher Wordsworth Martin Davy Gilbert Ainslie William Chafy George Thackeray John Graham William Webb Joshua King William French George Archdall Gilbert Ainslie Thomas Worsley William Hodgson Ralph Tatham John Graham George Archdall William Whewell William Hodgson Robert Phelps Ralph Tatham Henry Philpott Robert Phelps Henry Wilkinson Cookson James Cartmell George Corrie Richard Okes James Pulling Thomas Geldart Edwin Guest William Whewell Henry Philpott William Henry Bateson Latimer Neville George Phillips Edward Atkinson Henry Wilkinson Cookson James Cartmell William Hepworth Thompson Edward Atkinson John Power Henry Wilkinson Cookson Samuel Phear Edward Atkinson John Power Edward Perowne James Porter Norman Macleod Ferrers Charles Swainson Charles Taylor Charles Edward Searle Henry Montagu Butler John Peile Augustus Austen Leigh Charles Smith Alexander Hill William Chawner
20th century	Adolphus Ward Frederic Chase Edward Beck Ernest Stewart Roberts Arthur James Mason Robert Forsyth Scott Stuart Alexander Donaldson M. R. James Thomas Fitzpatrick Arthur Shipley Peter Giles Edmund Pearce Albert Seward George Weekes Thomas Fitzpatrick Allen Beville Ramsay Will Spens J. F. Cameron Godfrey Wilson Henry Roy Dean Ernest Alfred Benians John Archibald Venn Thomas Hele Henry Thirkill Charles E. Raven Sydney Castle Roberts Sir Lionel Whitby Henry Willink Brian Downs Edgar Adrian Herbert Butterfield Ivor Jennings John Boys Smith Arthur Armitage Eric Ashby Owen Chadwick William Alexander Deer Jack Linnett Rosemary Murray Alan Cottrell Peter Swinnerton-Dyer Harry Hinsley John Butterfield Richard Adrian, 2nd Baron Adrian Michael McCrum
Full-time	Sir David Williams Sir Alec Broers Dame Alison Richard Sir Leszek Borysiewicz Stephen Toope Deborah Prentice