| He was appointed as a Lieutenant RN. He was appointed as a Captain RN in 1744. He served in HMS Mermaid (40 guns) (in command) at Louisbourg in 1745. In 1746, he commanded HMS Vigilante (64 guns) at Louisbourg. In 1746 he was appointed Commodore of Newfoundland by Vice-Admiral Townsend to protect the fisheries, and report to London with answers to inquiries regarding the trade and fisheries of the island. He was not governor of the island, since the position temporarily lapsed after the departure of Richard Edwards in 1745. As Commodore, he could not administer the civil government, and the lack of a governor led to the downfall of justice on the island. Since no Commodore or Governor was sent in 1747, the next Governor was Charles Watson in 1748. Douglas resumed naval duty and was knighted in 1759 for his participation in the capture of Quebec. He served off the coasts of Havana, Jamaica and the West Indies throughout the next decade. He was appointed as a Vice-Admiral (RN) in 1770. He was appointed as a Admiral (RN) in 1778. |
