Samuel Herbert Dougal (15 May 1847 – 14 July 1903), a notorious womanising convicted forger, was a soldier who used his medal-winning administrative skills to ill effect. He married three times, and the first two wives died in suspicious circumstances. Dougal spent little time before replacing them in other relationships where he sired numerous illegitimate children in addition to his legitimate progeny. Dougal's downfall came soon after a servant of his sought an affiliation order for the child she had borne him. The scrutiny from the court process revealed that the woman he had been living with was not in fact married to him. Indeed, she had not been seen by her own relatives for four years despite her funds and share holdings having been cashed in over the same period. The discovery of this woman's murdered corpse on their property precipitated the murder trial that ended in Dougal's conviction as a murderer and his hanging for his crime soon after. Early life Samuel Herbert Dougal was the oldest son of Maria Josephine Thompson (1822-1897) and Samuel Dredge Dougal (1826–1900); he was born in Bow, London on 15 May 1847. At 19 he enlisted for 12 years in the Royal Engineers and was initially assigned to survey work with the Ordnance Survey. Whilst posted on this work he married (Lovenia) Martha Griffiths at Mold, Flintshire in 1869. The first of Samuel's legitimate children, Charles Herbert Dougal, was born in London in 1871, when he was elsewhere. Many other children were born but not all survived long. By choice, Samuel Dougal transferred to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1877 and subsequently extended his period of service to 21 years. In June 1885 his wife Martha died suddenly, after having no prior illness of health condition. Two months later, Samuel Dougal married a young Irish woman, Mary Herberta Boyd, who already had a child; in another two months Mary died suddenly and inexplicably in October 1885. Mary was rapidly buried at Fort Massey, the place where her predecessor had also been quickly buried. Samuel nevertheless persuaded another woman, Bessie Stedman, to be his 'mate' and she initially returned with Dougal to England when he was posted to Aldershot. Nevertheless, she removed herself back to Canada after suffering abuse from Dougal. In March 1887, Dougal was discharged from the Royal Engineers. Civilian life On discharge from the Royal Engineers, Samuel Dougal gave what appeared