Discover the Black Douglas’s – History and Heritage

King Donald III

Sholto Douglas circa 740 – 780

In 767 a mythical battle took place in Scotland between King Solvathius and Donald Bane. The Kings forces were losing the battle when a knight appeared and changed the course of events. When the King asked who the knight was, he was told ‘Sholto dhu glasse!’…’Behold the black man!’.

Although this is the accepted version I am not sure that this is a good translation, however it is the recognised version of how the name Douglas came into being. I am more inclined to believe his name was Sholto followed by the place he came from i.e. the water/river named with Gaelic dubh ‘dark, black’ + glas ‘stream’ (a derivative of glas ‘blue’). Today it is called Douglas Water. These cold dark wetlands lie some 30 miles south of Glasgow.

Sir James “The Good” Douglas, Lord of Douglas (1286 – 1330)

Arms: Chief Azure three mullets of the field (Douglas)

“Guid” Sir James became one of the Chief Commanders of the Scottish Army during the Wars of Independence under Robert the Bruce. Educated as a gentleman knight in French Courts he returned to Scotland and joined Bruce to become one of the most dynamic and successful warlords in the Scottish Army. He was the first of the Douglases to earn the epithet “Black Douglas” due to his exploits against the English invaders.

In fulfilling the dying wish of his King, James Douglas was finally killed in Spain whilst on a crusade to take the heart of King Robert the Bruce to the Holy Land. His bones were returned to Scotland where they were interred.

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (1327-1384)

Arms: A man’s heart Gules and on a chief Azure three mullets of the field (Douglas)

William Douglas son of Sir Archibald Douglas and nephew to “Guid” Sir James. Returned to Scotland from the French Court in 1348 where he continued the fight against Edward Balliol and the English. He fought and killed his namesake and godfather, William Douglas the Knight of Liddesdale in single combat.

As a supporter of King David II of Scotland, he spent most of his life fighting the English occupation. Through a relationship with Margaret Stewart, Countess of Angus, he fathered two illegitimate children, one of whom, George, went on to become Earl of Angus and thus started the line of the “Red Douglas”. William died of a fever in 1384.

Sir James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas (1358 – 1388)

Arms: Quarterly 1st and 4th Argent a heart Gules on a chief Azure three mullets of the field (Douglas); 2nd and 3rd Azure a bend between six cross crosslets fitchy all Or (Mar).

Eldest son and heir of William Douglas, like his forefathers Sir James spent most of his life fighting against the English invasion, this time in the reign of Richard II. During the ongoing struggle against the English, James allied his forces with the French to launch attacks over the border.

In his last invasion, he defeated Sir Henry Percy “Hotspur” in single combat and shortly afterwards his army took “Hotspur” prisoner, although Sir James was killed in combat during the ensuing Battle of Otterburn.

Archibald “The Grim” Douglas – 3rd Earl of Douglas (1325 – 1400)

Arms: Quarterly, 1st and 4th: Argent, a man’s heart gules and on a chief azure three mullets argent (Douglas); 2nd and 3rd: Azure, a lion rampant argent crowned or (Lordship of Galloway); surtout: Azure, three stars argent (Moray)

Bastard son of “Guid” Sir James by an unknown mother. Also known as “Black Archibald” he was described as “dark and ugly more like a coco [cook-boy] than a Noble” Archibald was a large man capable of wielding a huge broadsword. He was captured in France before he escaped to Scotland where he was appointed Lord of Galloway by King David.

On the death of James in 1388 he assumed the Lordship of Douglas and became the most powerful magnate in Scotland.

Archibald “Tyneman” Douglas – 4th Earl of Douglas (1370- 1424 )

Arms: Quarterly, 1st: Argent, a man’s heart gules and on a chief azure three mullets argent (Douglas); 2nd: Azure, a lion rampant argent crowned or (Lordship of Galloway); 3rd: Azure, three stars argent (Murray); 4th or a saltire and chief gules (Bruce).

Married to Princess Margaret of Carrick, a daughter of King Robert III of Scotland, Archibald became the most powerful magnate after his father. He was badly wounded and captured by the English at the Battle of Homildon Hill in 1402. In 1403 he was again wounded and captured by King Henry IV forces at the Battle of Shrewsbury until his release in 1406.

On 29 April 1424, Douglas was granted the Duchy of Touraine, the first foreigner and also the first non-royal to be granted ducal status in France. The newly-created French duke was defeated and killed at Verneuil on 17 August 1424.

Archibald Douglas – 5th Earl of Douglas ( 1390 – 1439 )

Arms: Quarterly, 1st: Azure three fleurs-de-lys or (France); 2nd Argent, a man’s heart gules and on a chief azure three mullets argent (Douglas); 3rd: Or a saltire and chief gules (Bruce); 4th: Azure, a lion rampant argent crowned or (Lordship of Galloway).

Son of Archibald “Tyneman”, he fought with the French at Baugé in 1421, and was made Count of Longueville in Normandy. He succeeded to his father’s Scottish and French titles in 1424.

Following the murder of King James I of Scotland at Perth in 1437, Douglas was appointed Lieutenant General of Scotland, and held the office of Regent, during the minority of James II until 1439. Douglas died from a fever in 1439.

William Douglas – 6th Earl of Douglas (1426 – 1440 )

Arms: Quarterly: 1st: Azure, a lion rampant argent crowned or (Lordship of Galloway); 2nd and 3rd, gules, a chevron within a double tressure counterflory argent (Fleming); 3rd:Argent, a man’s heart gules and on a chief azure three mullets argent (Douglas).

William succeeded to the earldom on the death of his father at the age of 13 and had already married Lady Janet Lindsay, daughter of David, Earl of Crawford. Following Archibald Douglas’s death, Sir William Crichton, Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, and James Douglas, Earl of Avondale (William Douglas’s great-uncle) shared power. Together they conspired to break the power of the late Archibald Douglas’s family, and summoned William and his younger brother David to Edinburgh Castle. The infamous ‘’Black Dinner” which followed saw both boys summarily beheaded on trumped-up charges, whilst the young King James II protested but was forced to watch.

The lordships of Annandale and Bothwell went to the crown; Galloway to Margaret Douglas (William Douglas’s sister), and the Douglas lands and earldom passed to William’s great-uncle James Douglas, the Earl of Avondale, who was later seen as the main perpetrator.

James “The Gross” Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas (1371 – 1443)

Created Earl of Avondale in 1437, suspected murderer and great-uncle of William. Probably directed the building of Gouraik Castle circa 1430 – 1440.

Second son of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, he rose to power when his elder brother was captured by the English and he became acting head of the family until his brother returned in 1409. He finally consolidated the full power of the Douglas ́s after the death of his brother and the murder of his two nephews in 1440.

He lived and died at Abercorn Castle where his grossly overweight body was said to have contained 4 stone of tallow (fat).

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas and 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425–1452),

Murdered by King James II of Scotland at Stirling Castle.
William assumed the title after his father’s death and there is strong suspicion that he was also complicit in the murder of his two cousins in 1440. William ́s power by now not only rivalled, but was possibly greater than King James II. Whilst on a visit to Rome, King James ́s forces attacked Douglas lands and their relationship became increasingly strained. Douglas was summoned to a meeting with the King at Stirling Castle, where he was murdered by the Kings own hand.

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas and 3rd Earl of Avondale (1425– – 1491).

Arms: Quarterly: 1, Argent a heart gules and a chief azure with three mullets argent on the chief (for Douglas); 2, azure fretty or (for the Lordship of Lauderdale); 3, azure three mullets argent within a double treasure gold (for Moray of Bothwell); 4, argent six piles sable (for Brechin); with an escutcheon of pretense azure a crowned lion argent crowned or (for Galloway).

The last “Black Douglas”. Following the murder of his twin brother, James took up arms against the King , but the rebellion failed and his allies deserted him. He then tried to persuade the English King Edward IV to side with him and launched a second rebellion in 1455.

After successive defeats his last stronghold, Threave Castle in Galloway, fell. James Douglas was attainted in 1455, and his lands and estates were forfeit to the crown. The lands of the Douglas’s were divided among their rivals, the lordship of Douglas falling to the Red Douglas 4th Earl of Angus. James was finally captured in 1484 and died a prisoner in Lindores Abbey.

Black and Red Douglases

Following the death of the 2nd Earl at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388 without legitimate issue, the Earldom passed to a bastard son of “The Good Sir James”, the poetically named Archibald the Grim, the Lord of Galloway. This occurred through articles of special entail in the resignation of title by Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas.

George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus the bastard son of the 1st Earl by his sister-in law Margaret Stewart, Dowager Countess of Mar & Countess of Angus, inherited his mother ́s Earldom of Angus. Retrospectively the two branches of Douglas and Angus were described as the Black and Red lines

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The Black Douglases’fell from power and were attainted by King James II in 1455. The seventh Earl was created Earl of Avondale and Lord Balveny in 1437, in the Peerage of Scotland. These titles also became forfeit in 1455.

The title of Douglas was restored in 1633 for the Red Douglas line, when William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus (1589–1660), was created First Marquess of Douglas by Charles I.