Sir Charles Douglas was born in Perthshire, Scotland around the year 1734 [Sic: his actual birthdate is 1727]. He was a midshipman at the siege of Louisbourg in 1745, promoted to Lieutenant in 1753 and to Commander in 1759. In May of 1776 he was head of a squadron which forced its way up the St. Lawrence River through thick pack ice, to relieve Quebec, which was then under siege by an American invasion force. Many of Douglastown's first settlers were at Quebec during the siege and witnessed Douglas' heroic efforts for themselves.
Douglas is probably best remembered for having been in command of Admiral Rodney's flagship HMS Formidable in the naval battle of the Saintes in 1782. He is credited with taking the decisive action that won the battle.
In 1783, Douglas was appointed cornmander-in-chief of the Nova Scotia station and remained in that command until 1786. His responsibilities included protecting the fisheries along the Gaspe coast. During the course of 1784 several letters were written between Lieutenant Governor Cox and Governor Haldimand where the name Douglas and the new towns at the mouth of the St. John river are interwoven.
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