James Douglas (1747-1821)

He was the son of a tenant farmer in Scotland and came to America with his three brothers. His eldest brother, Sir William Douglas, started life as a pedlar and became a Baronet and their business partner, Sir James Shaw, was a fellow Scot who became Lord Mayor of London. Having established their fortune, James and two of his brothers returned to Britain leaving his third brother, George, in New York to look after their American interests. On their return, they established the firm of Douglas & Shaw, Merchants, of No. 1 America Square, London. In 1786, he bought Orchardton House (now Castle) in Kirkcudbright that was still incomplete, having bankrupt its original owner in his efforts to build it. James completed the works (though subsequent additions were made in 1851 and 1921) and it remained in the Douglas family until 1951.