Sir Francis Douglas: a forgotten Governor?

Francis Campbell Ross Douglas served as Governor Malta for a period just short of three years: from July 10, 1946, to June 16, 1949, and despite the fact that the first Constitution granting self-government to Malta was implemented during his tenure he is barely remembered today. If anyone recalls anything about the modest Francis Douglas, it is most likely his shy, quasi-whistling voice or the unfortunate events related to the prosecution of Joseph James Scorey (owner-editor of the Malta Bulletin) for printing details of an alleged gubernatorial temper tantrum. Francis Douglas was born in Manitoba, Canada, in 1889. He was the son of Francis James Boswell Douglas, a poultry farmer, and Helen Blair, née Ross. The accompanying photograph of a child in a perambulator was captioned Ross Douglas and is most probably the subject of this article. He was educated at Glasgow University and subsequently worked as a journalist, accountant and solicitor. He was later a partner in Douglas & Co., solicitors. An extract from the register of marriages for the district of Maryhill, Glasgow, for July 1, 1914, shows that Francis Ross Douglas, journalist, residing in London, married Minnie Finlay...