William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas
Encyclopedia
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and 11th Earl of Angus (1589–1660) was a Scottish
nobleman.
and his Countess, Elizabeth Oliphant, eldest daughter of Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant. His younger brothers were James Douglas, 1st Lord Mordington
and Sir Francis Douglas of Sandilands. The MasterAngus was married to Margaret Hamilton in 1601, at the age of twelve years old.
in 1611, and was immediately embroiled in legal dispute with his tenants the Kers of Ferniehirst
over rights to hold courts in the Bailiary of Jedforest
. This dispute resulted in a severe outbreak of violence in the Borders
, and the case was presented to the Privy Council
. The Lords of Session found in favour of Angus, although his brother James was remanded at Blackness Castle
for threatening one of the Kers. Angus maintained his right to hold courts, and the Kers had to post £10,000
Scots as security to keep the peace.
Angus was not trusted by the Kirk
, due to his father's vacillation between Catholicism
and Presbyterianism
. Angus' father had been restored to his estates following his 1594 forfeiture, but not to heritable duties that the Earl of Angus had historically held, such as the first vote in the King's Council and parliament
, leading the Van of the Scots army, and bearing the Crown of Scotland
.
Not of a healthy constitution and unhappy with the religious climate at home, Angus was given leave by James VI of Scotland, to travel to Europe, which he did in 1616, returning by 1620; and again in 1623, he was given an 11 year leave of absence to travel to the continent, leaving his estates to be run by his brother Lord Mordington, and his cousin William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton
. Whilst in France, he corresponded with Marc Antonio Scoto d'Agazzano
and Italian nobleman from Piacenza
, who claimed ancient kinship with Angus. (cf. The legend of Sholto Douglas
)
Angus did not stay on the continent for the full 11 years, but returned to Britain following the death of King James in 1625. The new king, Charles I, stopped charges of Papist
ry levelled against the Earl and restored to him his father's honours in 1631. Douglas married again, folling the death of first wife, to Mary Gordon, daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquis of Huntly. During the King's visit to Scotland for his coronation in that realm in 1633, Angus was created Marquis of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest at Dalkeith
. He bore the crown during the coronation.
.
In 1644, Douglas signed the National Covenant at Douglas Kirk, but by 1645 he had switched sides to join James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
, following the Battle of Kilsyth
. Montrose made him his lieutenant for Clydesdale
, and Douglas raised his countryside to join with Montrose's army just before his great defeat at the Battle of Philiphaugh
. Douglas was able to escaspe following the debacle, but was captured in April the following year, and imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle
. For the first months of his captivity he was allowed to be accompanied by his Marchioness, butby July 1646, he was being held under close ward. He was released in 1647 following the payment of a large fine.
In 1651, Charles II
offered Douglas the leadership of a regiment in the army he was raising to invade England, Douglas declined however. Following Cromwell's Act of Grace
, Douglas was further forced topay of the huge fine of £1000 sterling for himself,and a further £1000 each for his two sons, Archibald, Lord Douglas
and William, 1st Earl of Selkirk.It is possible that in light of this that Douglas' fine was reduced to £333.
.The Marquis of Douglas was succeeded by his grandson, James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas
.
.
By Margaret Hamilton, Douglas had three sons:
By Mary Gordon, Douglas had thirteen children:
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
nobleman.
Master of Angus
William Douglas, Master of Angus was the eldest son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of AngusWilliam Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus
William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus was the son of William, the 9th Earl . He was a direct descendant of King James I through his paternal grandmother, Lady Agnes Keith, a daughter of William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal....
and his Countess, Elizabeth Oliphant, eldest daughter of Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant. His younger brothers were James Douglas, 1st Lord Mordington
James Douglas, 1st Lord Mordington
Sir James Douglas, 1st Lord Mordington was the second son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus by his spouse Elizabeth, daughter of Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant...
and Sir Francis Douglas of Sandilands. The MasterAngus was married to Margaret Hamilton in 1601, at the age of twelve years old.
Earl of Angus
Douglas succeeded his father as Earl of AngusEarl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
in 1611, and was immediately embroiled in legal dispute with his tenants the Kers of Ferniehirst
Clan Kerr
Clan Kerr is a Scottish clan that played an important role in the history of the Border country of Scotland.-Origins:The origins of the name Kerr are disputed as being either:*Caer *Ciar...
over rights to hold courts in the Bailiary of Jedforest
Jedforest
Jedforest is an historic forest in the Scottish Borders, that has been heavily wooded in the past.The forest is home to the widespreading Capon tree. It is an oak known as "King of the Woods" and thought to be in excess of 2,000 years old. It has a girth of 17 feet, measured four feet from the...
. This dispute resulted in a severe outbreak of violence in the Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
, and the case was presented to the Privy Council
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
. The Lords of Session found in favour of Angus, although his brother James was remanded at Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle is a 15th century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of...
for threatening one of the Kers. Angus maintained his right to hold courts, and the Kers had to post £10,000
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
Scots as security to keep the peace.
Angus was not trusted by the Kirk
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, due to his father's vacillation between Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. Angus' father had been restored to his estates following his 1594 forfeiture, but not to heritable duties that the Earl of Angus had historically held, such as the first vote in the King's Council and parliament
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
, leading the Van of the Scots army, and bearing the Crown of Scotland
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is the crown used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Remade in its current form for King James V of Scotland in 1540, the crown is part of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom...
.
Not of a healthy constitution and unhappy with the religious climate at home, Angus was given leave by James VI of Scotland, to travel to Europe, which he did in 1616, returning by 1620; and again in 1623, he was given an 11 year leave of absence to travel to the continent, leaving his estates to be run by his brother Lord Mordington, and his cousin William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton
William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton
William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton was a grandson of the 6th Earl of Morton. He was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, and a zealous Royalist, who, on the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1642, provided £100,000 for the cause by selling his Dalkeith estates to the Earl of Buccleuch...
. Whilst in France, he corresponded with Marc Antonio Scoto d'Agazzano
Agazzano
Agazzano is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km northwest of Bologna and about 20 km southwest of Piacenza...
and Italian nobleman from Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
, who claimed ancient kinship with Angus. (cf. The legend of Sholto Douglas
Sholto Douglas
Sholto Douglas was the mythical Progenitor of Clan Douglas, a powerful and warlike family in Medieval Scotland.A Mythical battle took place: "in 767, between King Solvathius rightful king of Scotland and a pretender Donald Bane...
)
Angus did not stay on the continent for the full 11 years, but returned to Britain following the death of King James in 1625. The new king, Charles I, stopped charges of Papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
ry levelled against the Earl and restored to him his father's honours in 1631. Douglas married again, folling the death of first wife, to Mary Gordon, daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquis of Huntly. During the King's visit to Scotland for his coronation in that realm in 1633, Angus was created Marquis of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest at Dalkeith
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...
. He bore the crown during the coronation.
Marquis of Douglas
Until 1638 Douglas spent the most part of his time at Douglas Castle, not much intervening in national affairs, apart from being appointed a King's commissioner to deal with an outbreak of violence along the MarchesScottish Marches
Scottish Marches was the term used for the Anglo-Scottish border during the late medieval and early modern eras—from the late 13th century, with the creation by Edward I of England of the first Lord Warden of the Marches to the early 17th century and the creation of the Middle Shires, promulgated...
.
In 1644, Douglas signed the National Covenant at Douglas Kirk, but by 1645 he had switched sides to join James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
, following the Battle of Kilsyth
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
. Montrose made him his lieutenant for Clydesdale
Clydesdale
Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
, and Douglas raised his countryside to join with Montrose's army just before his great defeat at the Battle of Philiphaugh
Battle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
. Douglas was able to escaspe following the debacle, but was captured in April the following year, and imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
. For the first months of his captivity he was allowed to be accompanied by his Marchioness, butby July 1646, he was being held under close ward. He was released in 1647 following the payment of a large fine.
In 1651, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
offered Douglas the leadership of a regiment in the army he was raising to invade England, Douglas declined however. Following Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace or more formally the Act of Pardon and Grace to the People of Scotland, was proclaimed at the mercat cross in Edinburgh on 5 May 1654...
, Douglas was further forced topay of the huge fine of £1000 sterling for himself,and a further £1000 each for his two sons, Archibald, Lord Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas from whom he inherited the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in the DNBIE and Paton in the much more recent ODNB, spell the name Earl of Ormond...
and William, 1st Earl of Selkirk.It is possible that in light of this that Douglas' fine was reduced to £333.
Death
Douglas died at Douglas Castle, on the 19th February 1660 and was buried in front of the altar of St. Brides's Kirk, Douglas, South LanarkshireDouglas, South Lanarkshire
Douglas is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The placename is of Gaelic origin, derived from the Old Gaelic...
.The Marquis of Douglas was succeeded by his grandson, James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas
James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas
James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and 1st Earl of Ormonde, and Lady Anne Stuart....
.
Marriage and Issue
Douglas was twice married. He was married firstly in 1601, to Margaret Hamilton, daughter of Claude Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley who died in 1623. In 1632, he married secondly to Mary Gordon, daughter to George Gordon, 1st Marquess of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...
.
By Margaret Hamilton, Douglas had three sons:
- Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of OrmondArchibald Douglas, 1st Earl of OrmondArchibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas from whom he inherited the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in the DNBIE and Paton in the much more recent ODNB, spell the name Earl of Ormond...
(1609–1655) - Lord William Douglas (d.1633)
- Lord James DouglasLord James DouglasLord James Douglas was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.He was born at Douglas Castle, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, the son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas, and his wife Margaret Hamilton, a daughter of Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley....
(1617–1645)
By Mary Gordon, Douglas had thirteen children:
- William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk (1634–1694)
- George Douglas, 1st Earl of DumbartonGeorge Douglas, 1st Earl of DumbartonMajor-General George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton KT was a Scottish nobleman, and soldier.-Early Life:The son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and his second wife Lady Mary Gordon daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly, Douglas was the younger brother of the William...
( - Lord James Douglas
- Lady Margaret Douglas, married William, Lord Alexender,eldest son of William Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
- Lady Jean Douglas, married John Hamilton, 1st Lord Bargany
- Lady Grizel Douglas, married Sir William Carmichael of that Ilk
- Lady Anna Douglas, died unmarried
- Lady Henrietta Douglas, married James Johnstone, 1st Earl of Annandale
- Lady Catherine Douglas, married Sir William Ruthven of Dunglas
- Lady Isabel Douglas, married William Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry PC also 3rd Earl of Queensberry and 1st Marquess of Queensberry was a Scottish politician....
- Lady Jane Douglas, married James Drummond, 4th Earl of PerthJames Drummond, 4th Earl of PerthJames Drummond, 1st Duke of Perth KT PC , also 4th Earl of Perth and 7th Lord Drummond, was a Scottish statesman, and Jacobite.-Family:...
- Lady Lucy Douglas, married Robert Maxwell, 4th Earl of Nithsdale
- Lady Mary Douglas, died unmarried
Sources
- Balfour Paul, Sir JamesJames Balfour PaulSir James Balfour Paul, KCVO was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926....
, The Scots Peerage, IX vols. Edinburgh, 1904.http://www.archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun01pauluoft - Fraser, Sir WilliamWilliam Fraser (historian)Sir William Fraser, KCB, was a solicitor and notable expert in ancient Scottish history, palaeography, and genealogy....
, The Douglas Book IV vols. Edinburgh 1885.http://www.archive.org/details/douglasbook04fras - Maxwell, Sir Herbert, History of the House of Douglas II vols. Edinburgh 1902.