| Notes |
- 1. John Douglas was born in Scotland about the year 1695. His father was a wealthy and influential man, possessing a large tract of land, and renting a number of houses. John had an uncle, a merchant living in London, who wished his nephew to go and live with him, promising to make him his heir, as he had no children of his own. To this his father would not consent; but the boy, then twelve years of age, was so well pleased with his uncle's generous offer, that he ran away with the intention of going to him. On reaching London, he could not find his uncle; so he strolled down about the wharves, as a little boy would naturally do. There lay in port a man-of-war nearly ready for sea. The boy attracted the notice of the crew who, taking advantage of his being alone and unprotected, pressed him on board the ship and concealed him till they were well out to sea. The vessel was bound for Boston, and arrived there in due time. John was sold or put out to a man till he should become of age, in a consideration of a sum of money required to pay in passage. Whom he lived with or how he fared during the remainder of his minority is not known. Neither is it known that his father ever knew what had become of his lost son. We next hear of John in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Maa., where about A.D. 1719, he married Eunice Rattleleaf (or Ratcliffe) of that town. They settled on a farm he bought of John Bennett, Jr., containing thirty-seven acres, for the sum of thirty pounds. The farm was situated in the Township of Middlebrough, Mass., being in the 184th lot in the third allotment in the purchase known as the sixteen shilling purchase. The deed bearing the date of May 27, 1739. They always resided on this farm, where they died at an advanced age, and were buried in the town graveyard.
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