He was born in Glasgow on 9 January 1840 the son of Alexander McDougall, a horn spoon maker, and his wife, Agnes Currie.
He moved in his youth to Saltcoats and lived in a miner's cottage on Raise Street in the town centre.
The Stevenston coal mine lay on the edge of the town,[1] He emigrated to America in his youth and studied Theology there.
He appears to have initially assisted at a mission in High Blantyre as he appears in records on 2 July 1879 attending one of the several Blantyre mining disasters, occurring in a coal mine owned by William Dixon & Co in which 27 were killed and many others injured.
However, as McDougall refused to promise not to preach again in Coatbridge he was found in contempt of court and had to serve 28 days in Calton Prison, being released on 7 March 1902.