William I, Lord of Douglas
Encyclopedia
William of Douglas was a medieval
nobleman of Flemish
origin living in Clydesdale
, an area under the control of the King of the Scots.
, at which time he was in possession of the Lands of Douglas
.
in his history refers to the progenitor of the House of Douglas, Sholto
. Gleaned from the works of Buchanan
and Boece
, Godscroft's narrative explains that during the reign of a King Solvathius, Sholto Douglas was instrumental in putting down an uprising by a usurper Donald Bain in 767AD, and as reward was granted the lands that would after be called Douglas.
Both Balfour Paul and Maxwell agree that this origin tale is mythic, but do contest that William of Douglas was active at the time of the real rebellion of the Meic Uilleim
, under their chief Domnall mac Uilleim. The earlier historians may have confused the mythic Donald Bain with Domnall Ban mac Domnaill, the penultimate Meic Uilleim chief.
This may be corroborated by the facts that the lands of Douglas marched with those of the leader of King William I of Scotland
's retaliatory forces, Lochlann, Lord of Galloway
. William may well have been a vassal of the Lord of Galloway. Furthermore, all of William's sons with the exception of the eldest were to hold privileged ecclesiastic positions within the former Meic Uilleim territories in Moray
.
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
nobleman of Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
origin living in 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...
, an area under the control of the King of the Scots.
Enigmatic origins
The origins of William are uncertain, the first of the name of Douglas to appear on historic record. He appears as witness to a charter of Jocelin, Bishop of Glasgow in 1174 in favour of the monks of Kelso AbbeyKelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, at which time he was in possession of the Lands of Douglas
Douglas, 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...
.
Sholto/William
David Hume of GodscroftDavid Hume of Godscroft
David Hume was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. He also spent a decade as pastor of a Protestant congregation in France.-Life:...
in his history refers to the progenitor of the House of Douglas, Sholto
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...
. Gleaned from the works of Buchanan
George Buchanan
George Buchanan may refer to:*George Buchanan , Scottish humanist*Sir George Buchanan , Scottish soldier during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms*Sir George Buchanan , Chief Medical Officer...
and Boece
Hector Boece
Hector Boece , known in Latin as Hector Boecius or Boethius, was a Scottish philosopher and first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen, a predecessor of the University of Aberdeen.-Biography:He was born in Dundee where he attended school...
, Godscroft's narrative explains that during the reign of a King Solvathius, Sholto Douglas was instrumental in putting down an uprising by a usurper Donald Bain in 767AD, and as reward was granted the lands that would after be called Douglas.
Both Balfour Paul and Maxwell agree that this origin tale is mythic, but do contest that William of Douglas was active at the time of the real rebellion of the Meic Uilleim
Meic Uilleim
The Meic Uilleim were the Gaelic descendants of William fitz Duncan, grandson of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, king of Scots. They were excluded from the succession by the descendants of Máel Coluim's son David I during the 12th century and raised a number of rebellions to vindicate their claims to...
, under their chief Domnall mac Uilleim. The earlier historians may have confused the mythic Donald Bain with Domnall Ban mac Domnaill, the penultimate Meic Uilleim chief.
This may be corroborated by the facts that the lands of Douglas marched with those of the leader of King William I of Scotland
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
's retaliatory forces, Lochlann, Lord of Galloway
Lochlann, Lord of Galloway
Lochlann , also known by his French name Roland, was the son and successor of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway as the "Lord" or "sub-king" of eastern Galloway....
. William may well have been a vassal of the Lord of Galloway. Furthermore, all of William's sons with the exception of the eldest were to hold privileged ecclesiastic positions within the former Meic Uilleim territories in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
.
Issue
William of Douglas may have married a sister of Freskin of Kerdal, a Flemish laird from Moray. He had issue:- Archibald I, Lord of DouglasArchibald I, Lord of DouglasArchibald of Douglas was a Scottish Nobleman. He was the son of William of Douglas.The earliest attestation of his existence is in a charter of confirmation dated prior to 1198. This charter of Jocelin, Bishop of Glasgow, granted the rights of a toft in Glasgow to Melrose Abbey...
- Bricius de Douglas, Bishop of MorayBishop of MorayThe Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
- Alexander de Douglas, a canonCanon (priest)A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of SpynieSpynie PalaceSpynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years. The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th Century. It is situated about 500m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, in...
, vicar capitularVicar capitularA diocesan administrator is a provisional ordinary of a Roman Catholic particular church. The college of consultors elects an administrator within eight days after the see is known to be vacant. The college must elect as administrator a priest or bishop at least 35 years old...
of ElginElgin CathedralElgin Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II that was close to the River Lossie and outside of the burgh of... - Henry de Douglas, a canon of Spynie
- Hugh de Douglas, a canon of Spynie, Archdeacon of MorayArchdeacon of MorayThe Archdeacon of Moray was the only archdeacon in the Diocese of Moray, acting as a deputy of the Bishop of Moray. The archdeacon held the parish churches of Forres and Edinkillie as a prebends since 1207. The following is a list of known historical archdeacons:-List of archdeacons of Moray:*...
- Freskin de Douglas, parsonParsonIn the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
of Douglas, later DeanDean (religion)A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Moray - Margaret de Douglas, married Hervey de KeithHervey de KeithHervey de Keith was a Scoto-Norman nobleman and first recorded Marischal of Scotland.-Life:Keith took his name from the Barony of Keith, in East Lothian, which he held the north eastern part; the south western part was held by SimonFraser...
, Marischal of Scotland