Cecilia Douglas
Cecilia Douglas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 February 1772 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 25 July 1862 (aged 90) Orbiston House, Scotland |
| Known for | Art collector and philanthropist |
Cecilia Douglas (née Douglas) (28 February 1772 – 25 July 1862) was a Scottish owner of West Indian plantations by marriage, and an art collector.[1][2] She was one of Scotland's wealthiest women during her lifetime, with a net worth of £40,000.[1]
Early life
Cecilia Douglas was born to John Douglas, a Scottish merchant of the planter class of the West Indies,[1] and Cecilia Buchanan, on 28 February 1772.[3] She was the fifth of eleven siblings, and one of only two daughters, and the sister of Lieutenant-General Sir Neil Douglas. Her nephew was Sir James Douglas, Governor of Vancouver Island.[3]
Marriage
Douglas married Gilbert Douglas, a West Indian plantation owner from Balcony, on 26 January 1794, in Glasgow.[1] Their marriage lasted until Gilbert's death in 1807. No children resulted from the union.[3]
Gilbert owned two plantations: Fairfield, a cotton plantation in Demerara, and Mount Pleasant, a sugar plantation on the island of St. Vincent.[3] After the death of Gilbert in 1807, Cecilia inherited half shares in his plantations, including their slaves.[1] Her late husband also bequeathed her the use of estates in Lanarkshire in Scotland, Douglas Park and Boggs.[1]
In the 1820s she toured Europe, acquiring a variety of artworks and made profitable investments in British industry and commerce.[1] Douglas lived at Orbiston House for the remainder of her years.[2] She commissioned a stained-glass window in Glasgow Cathedral to preserve her own and her family's legacy.[1] This has since been removed.[1]
Death and Legacy
Douglas died at Orbiston House on 25 July 1862.[2] She bequeathed her entire art collection to Glasgow Corporation. Some of the paintings are displayed in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ewan, Elizabeth, ed. (2018). The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-4744-3629-8. OCLC 1057237368.
- ^ a b c "Cecilia Douglas (nee Douglas) | Legacies of British Slavery". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ a b c d harmonyrowbc (2021-07-31). "Cecilia Douglas (1772-1862). Art Collector and Slave Owner". Glasgow's Benefactors. Retrieved 2022-01-28.