Francis McDougall

Who was Francis McDougall?

Francis Thomas McDougall was the first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak from 1849 to 1868.

McDougall was born in Sydenham and educated at King's College London, where he trained as a surgeon, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford. While at Oxford, he rowed in the winning Oxford eight in the 1842 Boat Race.

McDougall and his wife Harriette sailed for Borneo via the Cape and Singapore on 30 December 1847, arrived in Sarawak on 29 June 1848 and was appointed the first Bishop of Labuan and Sarawak in 1849. Returning to England in 1868 he was appointed Vicar of Godmanchester. Later he was Archdeacon of Huntingdon, then Vicar of Milford on Sea; and finally Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight from 1874 until his death.